The Hopes of Ascension
by CrimsonBlade11
Summary: Here's a spin on the Sekirei show. No Minato, but a new Ashikabi to take his place; along with that, a semi-new Harem of Sekirei. Hiatus until further notice. Currently under rewrite overhaul. Emphasis on overhaul.
1. The Staff

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, this is something I've been considering for a while. Though I haven't posted anything for a long time, I'm going to stick with this one. I've already written up a few later chapters just to solidify my resolve. _

_Well, I hope you enjoy. It's not much, but I hope you like it. Rate/review/ and the like._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter One

The Staff

"Again, Takeshi-kun!" Karasuba barked, holding her practice sword over her shoulder.

I pushed myself up as quickly as I could, knowing full well the penalty for taking too long. Holding my bokken with both hands, I looked up to Karasuba with defiance. My left cheek throbbed painfully. "Whenever you're ready, Karasuba-sensei."

The sadistic Sekirei smiled appreciatively. "It's nice to see you're learning, Takeshi-kun. Charging forward will only get you killed in a real battle." She casually held her own bokken in front of her. Lunging forward, she slashed horizontally.

I grimaced losing her, but my body reacted on its own; jumping back, I slashed to the side, knocking her bokken to the side. My arm jarred painfully as the impact threw me off balance.

"Good! Don't try to block; you're nowhere near strong enough! Let your body remember the pain and try to react in order to prevent it in the future." Yume called from the sidelines as I successfully evaded Karasuba's attack.

"Not good enough." Vanishing from sight, Karasuba was suddenly directly in front of me, crouched and inside of my defenses. Bringing her bokken to my chest, she rapped me across the chest. The force of the blow was enough to force me back a few feet and knock me off my feet.

I pouted at her, "Mou, Karasuba-sensei! That wasn't in the form! Unfair!"

Karasuba laughed at my complaints. Standing, she walked slowly over to me and held out her hand, a strange gesture coming from the normally cruel alien. "A real battle doesn't have any set 'forms'. You have to adapt as the situation demands. Besides, you won't be the one fighting."

I grabbed her hand and gasped in surprise at her sudden strength as she effortlessly lifted me to my feet. "Then why are you teaching me to fight, if the Sekirei are the ones who are going to the fighting?"

Her familiar smile returned, "There will be few unwinged Sekirei that will react to you, but that will depend on your strength. If you show one of them that you won't be a useless, weak Ashikabi, then the stronger Sekirei will react to you."

Yume perked up, "Show them not only how strong of body you are, but also strong of heart! You must create as many strong bonds with the little birds as you can." Se walked to my side and smiled widely.

I looked down, confused, "Okay, but I still don't get why I'm being taught to fight."

"Because humans are weak and a hindrance to this planet." Karasuba said with old familiarity.

I scrunched my eyebrows, "Huh, I don't get it. I'm a human; does that mean you think I'm weak and a hindrance, Karasuba-sensei?" I looked to her with sad eyes.

Yume jumped in, "No! You're not weak, Takeshi. You may be small right now, but you have the biggest heart of anyone I know!"

I couldn't help but smile lightly at that. "Thanks, Yume-sensei." Though, I meant it; the person I really wanted to give me the truth was Karasuba.

The Black Sekirei looked down to me with cold eyes. "Right now, yes." My shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But that will change, Take-chan, I'm teaching you because I see something inside of you. Something strong; I'm going to help you grow as strong as you can, so that you will be the exception."

My eyes widened when I heard Karasuba say that. Meeting her eyes, I actually saw something else with the zeal for battle, the thirst for a challenge and the desire to match blades with a powerful opponent. I couldn't place it, but I know it's something positive. Also, I felt a warm feeling well up my chest when I heard her call me 'Take-chan'. "Thank you, Karasuba-sensei." I said with a smile.

"Karasuba. Yume. Did you have to be so rough with him? He's only nine years old." I looked away from Karasuba and saw Takami Sahashi, my mother. She approached me and crouched down, placing a hand on my chin. Examining my face, she pursed her lips. "Does it hurt, Takashi?" She asked me gently.

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. I hadn't really noticed the bruises, pushing them back as I tried to push myself in Yume's hand-to-hand and Karasuba's sword training. Since Takami pointed them out to me, I finally felt the full brunt of the throbbing on my side, arms, left cheek, and legs. I nodded, regretfully. "Yeah, Takami, it hurts a lot." I grimaced, coming to the conclusion that speaking hurt.

Takami stood, taking my hand and gently ushered me to her side. "You should really go easy on him; Takeshi's much too young to take part in such rigorous training sessions."

Yume looked distraught, "It hurt that much, Takeshi-kun? I'm sorry!" She looked down to him with sad eyes.

Karasuba simply crossed her arms, smirking lightly. Meeting my eyes, she arched an eyebrow.

I beamed up to her. "It's okay, Takami. The pain is part of the training too! It helps me learn that dodging and evading is more important, since I can catch the opponent off guard." I said exactly what Karasuba had told me that I needed to do, since I'm human.

Smug, Karasuba looked to Takami with a smirk.

Sighing, Takami shook her head. "I'll let it slide, but don't do anything too drastic." Turning, she squeezed my hand. "C'mon, Takeshi-kun, let's you to bed, it's late."

"Okay!" As we started walking away, I turned around and waved at Karasuba and Yume, "See you tomorrow!"

Yume waved enthusiastically back to me, beaming.

Karasuba simply smiled as I walked away, her eyes closed.

* * *

><p>10 years later….<p>

"Once more, Take-chan! Try to keep up with me." Karasuba called out to me.

I nodded brusquely, lifting my feet into the air. Kicking myself up from my prone position, I lifted my bokken and lunged, taking charge in the spar. Stabbing forward, I turned the bokken to the side and slashed.

Karasuba slapped my sword aside and stabbed at my shoulder.

Acting faster than my brain could register, I turned and dodged it. Stepping in close, I tightened my grip on the bokken and pulled it inward, spinning as I slashed at her midsection.

She quickly stepped back and jumped up, evading my slash. Descending, Karasuba lifted her sword and slashed downwards, aimed at my skull.

Once again, I acted before my brain could register what was going on. Allowing her slash to continue its arc, I watched as the sword impacted with the ground. Stomping the back of the bokken, I forced it to tear into the training mats. Following that, I jumped up and kicked at her hands.

Karasuba immediately released the sword and stepped back.

I stepped forward and slashed, forcing Karasuba to leap back. As she did, I allowed a small smirk to escape me as I leapt towards Karasuba, catching her mid-air with a slash of the bokken.

Karasuba caught the bokken and cleared her throat. "It seems that this spar is yours, Take-chan."

I released a pent up breath, falling back onto the mat. Breathing heavily, I looked up to the Black Sekirei. "How did I do?" I asked in between breaths.

She smirked, "Okay, but don't expect _that_ to work every time in a fight. But, other than that, your overall performance was…" She paused, placing a finger on her chin, contemplating.

I pushed myself to a sitting position, waiting for her rating.

Karasuba looked down to me with a sly smirk, "Satisfactory. I was going on easy on you after all." Pausing again, she asked, "I'm curious, what's the ratio of your wins and losses."

I shook my head and chuckled, "It's one win to around three thousand losses." Pushing myself to my feet, I groaned, "You don't have to worry about me getting cocky, Karasuba; I already know that my place is to let the Sekirei fight on their own."

She smiled as she shook her head. "It's good that your skills aren't going to your head." Turning, she waved her hand over her, "Go clean yourself off; I have something I need to talk to you about something later."

I paused, then lifted my arm, smelling myself. Grimacing, I nodded, "I'll do that." Turning around, I headed to the locker room. Once I got there, I removed my sweaty training clothes and folded them, placing the onto the seat. Grabbing my towel, I threw it over my shoulder and headed to the showers.

Allowing the hot, steaming water fall over my body, I couldn't but think back to how I used to be: small, scrawny and weak. I won't sugarcoat it, I know I was. Ten years ago, I was smaller compare other kids that age; however, my mother was an important person in MBI, so when she took me here on a slow day, I was immediately enraptured in everything going on. Unfortunately, I got lost during mom's break while I was wandering around. It was Karasuba who found me, of all people; for some reason, the infamous Sekirei seemed to have taken a liking to me, and I her.

It was through that connection we had that I was able to make a shift from that weak, scrawny nine-year-old to the strong, proud nineteen-year-old that I am now. I'm proficient in the use of the sword and martial arts. Thanks to Karasuba's rigorous, painful, merciless training I don't have a shred of fat on my body, only toned muscle built for speed and power.

After the shower, I walked out of the locker room and shrugged on my jacket. Walking through the training, I couldn't help but wince at the history I had in the room. All the blood, sweat, and tears I shed. (Boy did Karasuba hate tears. Weakness was not something you showed in front of that woman, mind-numbing pain or not.)

When I made it to the meeting area, I was greeted by the Disciplinary Squad for the upcoming Sekirei Plan, the Game that CEO Minaka was tripping over himself to get moving. Natsuo, Takami, and Karasuba were all around a table, muttering lightly to each other.

Clearing my throat, I caught their attention. "I'm here like you asked."

Natsuo looked over to me with an easy smile. "Ah, Takeshi-chan! How have you been?" He's…friendly, to say the least.

I thought for a moment, then said, "Sore. Training with Karasuba is no joke." I grabbed my shoulder and rolled it lightly, feeling the strain.

Natsuo laughed lightly, "Well, she can be a bit overzealous." He said as he gave her a sideways glance. Sighing, he cleared his throat and looked over to Takami.

Nodding, my mom spoke next. "Look, Takeshi, we have something we want to ask you. Before we ask you, I need to say that you're free to decline. This is purely your choice." Clearing her throat, mom adjusted her tie; more of a nervous gesture than anything else. Looking up to me, she asked, "Would you like to be a part of the Disciplinary Squad?"

I blinked caught completely off guard by the question. "The Disciplinary Squad? I thought Natsuo was the Ashikabi of them?"

Takami nodded, "He is, but we thought it would it be a great help if you were here to deal with any unruly Ashikabi, then we can send a message that not even Ashikabi are exempt from the rules of the Game."

I blinked, surprised slightly. "Uh, okay, so you want me to go out there and wing a Sekirei right? To also be on the squad

"That's what we wanted to ask you about, Takeshi. The three of us were wondering if you would mind locating a suitable Sekirei to help you." My mom grimaced, obviously against me participating since I heard about it when I was twelve.

I scratched my head. "You want me to go out a find a Sekirei? What if I don't get one to react to me? Doesn't the Sekirei react to their chosen Ashikabi?"

Karasuba snorted, "You don't have to worry about that. I'm the one who brought this up." I blinked, surprised. She simply smiled, "I've helped you grow stronger for a reason, Take-chan. I've reacted to you since ten years ago, that alone told me that you were meant to be strong. During the Game, there will no doubt be upstart Ashikabi and Sekirei who'd try to skirt the rules to get their own way. The Disciplinary Squad is meant to deal with them. Obviously, Natsuo's team will deal with it first, but if there are really a problem, then the you would be sent to deal with it. As it stands, a Sekirei is not permitted to harm an Ashikabi, but there is no rule stating that an Ashikabi cannot harm another Ashikabi."

I smirked, "And you want me to teach the other Ashikabi that simply being an Ashikabi doesn't keep you safe by virtue of their Sekirei."

Karasuba simply smiled her signature smirk.

Takami massaged her temple. "That would be the case, but if you don't want to-"

"I'll do it." I said without hesitation.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I stepped out of the grocery store. I was absolutely starving and needed sustenance as soon as possible. I'd headed there right after leaving MBI headquarters, feeling the unending gnaw of hunger deep in my belly.<p>

Walking quickly, I hefted my three bags as I was about to make a turn. Only to have a rain of lightning strike directly at where I would've been; it was only thanks to my reflexive dodge enforced by Karasuba's Spartan-like training. Looking up, I saw two women, a pair of twins, shooting lightning from their fingertips, and a lone woman fighting a losing battle. The twins both had long black hair and a pair of leather outfits that could only be described as S&M, anything else and the description would be lost. The third woman was jumping after either of them, spinning around a long, red staff; she wore a pair of black boots strapped to a belt over a pair of blue bottoms, a pair of long gloves and a sleeveless blue top with a white stripe the cleavage window; her hair was long and so dark a green it nearly looked black from a distance.

A part of me wanted to just walk away, I mean if I wanted to find a Sekirei, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to rush into the fray of Sekirei fighting. I wanted to make sure this Game was fair; I mean it wouldn't be right for the people who are trying to keep the peace to have over twenty percent of Sekirei, right?

As I turned to go my own way, the woman with the staff obviously recognized that I was standing there, so she looked in my direction. In the barest of moments, a few seconds at most, we locked gazes. Her cold light green eyes, met my dark grey eyes; I felt my entire body freeze as I heard my own heartbeat. The two of us remained locked in gazes for the longest of seconds; I could see from here, her face was flushed red.

Lightning struck her flank, the force of the blast sending her crashing to the ground, her staff falling out of her hands.

I released a breath; I recognized the signs from what I was informed. I just made a Sekirei react. "Okay, I can't just leave her there." Putting the bags down, I reached into my jacket and pulled out my glasses. As I put them on, I stuck my hand into my grocery bag and pulled out a bag of flour. Rushing forward, I whistled loud enough to catch one of the lightning user's attention. Throwing the flour towards her as hard as I could, I jumped upwards.

The lightning Sekirei yelped as the bag of flour exploded in her face. Blinded by the powder, she fired random bolts of lightning in my direction.

My jump had vaulted me well above the bolts and took me right in front of her. Falling in a roll, I went between her legs and threw my hands out, grabbing her on the ankles, pulling as I rolled.

The lightning user fell flat on her face, which genuinely surprised me. I figured that they would know enough to not completely let their guard down. As I quickly pushed myself to my feet, I heard the second enemy Sekirei pointing angrily at me.

"Argh, why'd you do that to Hibiki?" Lightning fired from her finger, aimed directly at me.

Acting on its own, my body dodged the bolt by bending backwards so that my back was completely parallel to the ground while only a foot from the ground. When the bolt passed, I stood up straight and paled, all while smiling at my fortune.

The lightning user glared at me and fired off bolt.

The staff user tackled me out of the way, knocking the wind out of me. We fell back and I managed to roll us away from another bolt. When we stopped rolling, she was on top of me. Pushing herself up, she stared down at me with her surprisingly cold eyes. "Who are you?" She asked even as she was leaning closer to me, her tongue slowly tracing her lips.

I couldn't help but be drawn in by the girl hovering over top of me; however, I couldn't focus on her completely, simply because the lightning twins were closing in. Grabbing the staff user's shoulders, I pulled her in close; she obviously blushed heavily, but her eyes said things I think would be in bad taste if verbally repeated. Making us fall onto our sides, I pushed her away as quickly as I could, so that several bolts struck the ground between us. "After the fight, then we can talk." I said to the staff user as I rolled onto my back and kicked myself back up.

There must some god or goddess smiling on my luck, because as soon as I kicked myself up, I felt, more than saw, several bolts of lightning pass harmlessly by my body. As soon as I regained my balance, I propelled myself forward, flipping away from the lightning twins. Several more bolts were fired at me. I seriously think the lightning twins have it in for me now, considering more than several dozen bolts of electricity were being fired with a passion towards my flipping form.

Within moments, I had reached the thing I'd been aiming for: the staff. Landing on my hands, I transferred all of my weight to one hand as I grabbed the staff from the ground.

The staff user obviously realized what I was doing, since she was up and charging the flour-covered twin. I whistled to catch her attention and threw the staff as hard as I could. Pushing off my hand, I got back onto my feet and yelled, "Take the floury one, I'll hold the other!"

Obviously, these Sekirei had never heard of an Ashikabi who can take care of himself. The twin closest to me, the one not covered in flour let out a condescending laugh. The one with flour chuckled to herself. The staff user was shifting focus from me to her incoming staff to the lightning user in flour.

I take it back; they've obviously never met anyone who's survived ten years of merciless training at the hands of the Black Sekirei herself. Leaning forward, I charged headlong towards the lightning user, while she was busy laughing. Upon seeing me, she flinched. She should have: one second, I was at least a yard and a half from her; the next, I was virtually in front of her. Throwing out my open palm, I crashed it into her solar plexus; she doubled over and nearly lost her balance. I grabbed her by her wrist and turned around, tossing her over my shoulder.

Throwing her over my shoulder, I tried to keep her hitting the ground too hard; hard enough to know that I'm not to be trifled with, but easy enough so that she wouldn't get too hurt. Karasuba said that's my 'flaw', I'm 'too nice'.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the staff user had dealt with her opponent, who was lying on the ground. Stepping away from the Sekirei I threw, I beckoned the staff user to follow. "Now that they have an idea of what I'm capable of, I won't be too much help if they decide to keep fighting." I said that as the both of them were getting back up, slower and more wary.

"Hikari, are you okay?" She floured Sekirei said to the one I'd flipped.

She nodded, "I'm fine, Hibiki." Upon standing, the two of them looked over to me and the staff user. The Sekirei, Hikari, I'm, guessing, took a few steps back. "We're done, she's going to be emerged anyway; we don't mess with emerged Sekirei." She turned and leapt away.

The second one quickly followed her.

The tension left my shoulders, this fight was over. _Now, to face my next challenge._ Turning to face the staff user, I said, "Now tha-"

I was thoroughly and pleasantly interrupted by her pressing her lips onto mine. Soft, supple lips slowly moved against mine as she deepened the kiss; a light exploded behind her as she obtained her wings.

Slowly she broke the kiss, and looked into my eyes. "Sekirei Number 16, Toyotama is yours. Forever and ever and all that…" Her cold, green eyes met mine once again. We were still for a moment, before Toyotama crossed her arms and gave me an amused smirk. "Well, are you going to give me your name or just sit there like a gaping idiot?"

I flinched, shaking my head. "Oh, sorry about that. It's not everyday something like this happens…." She arched an eyebrow. Oh, right, the Sekirei Plan. "…to me, specifically." I cleared my throat and continued. "I'm Takeshi Hitomi; it's great to meet you, Toyotama."

She purred lightly, giving me the up-down look. "It's great to meet you, Takeshi-kun. Just where did you learn how to fight like that? And against a Sekirei, no less?"

I chuckled, feeling really good about myself. "I've been training for little over ten years. I'm nineteen. It also helps that I was trained by a Sekirei, so I'm familiar with the gap in ability." I turned and saw that one of my bags was lying across the curb. "Oy, I need to get my stuff." I walked quickly to the bag and started picking up the various groceries. Out of my periphery, I saw Toyotama helping out, but she seemed more interested in me that anything else. "Once we get this altogether, we can head back to my place."

At that, Toyotama perked up, "Your place? Where do you live?" She absently licked her lips.

I couldn't help but release a shuddering breath; her subtle signals were driving me crazy. "Uh, just around the corner; it's one of the two story complexes." Within a few moments, the two of us had put everything back into the bag and I was carrying all three of them again. I'd insisted, plus it's what the guy's supposed to do; chivalry and all that.

Upon reaching my home, I placed one of the bags down and reached into my jacket's inner pocket, pulling out a key. Unlocking and opening the door, I motioned for Toyotama to enter first and I went in after her, closing the door behind me. The first floor was essentially in thirds: one third was basically a small living room; another held the dining table and the last part had a small kitchen. All it had was a small fridge, small oven, and a counter. As I placed everything on the counter, I said, "The shower's upstairs on the left, feel free to use it if you want; I have to put all of this away." I smiled lightly at her.

Toyotama placed her staff on the corner of the stairs, where she can easily get to if she had to run down them. Looking over to me for a few moments, she nodded with a small, suggestive smile. "Of course, I'm not feeling the cleanest right now."

As she walked up the steps, I called up to her. "While you're in there, I'll set out some pj's for you."

"Okay…" She called back from the top of the steps.

Normally, when an Ashikabi wings a Sekirei, they get a call from Minaka about the game, but I was already informed of it long before I winged Toyotama, so I didn't need to be called; I guess the plan to make me a Disciplinary Squad member was already being considered. Needless to say, I wasn't all surprised when there was a knock at my door after I put all the groceries away. Walking to the door, I opened it to see an MBI employee holding a box. Holding out my arms, I waited as he placed the box in my hands and close my door for me. Shifting the box to one arm, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my key, locking the door.

Heading up the steps, I reached the bedroom and placed the box to the side, then went to my dresser. Sliding it open, I looked through and found just what she could wear, an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Taking them, I opened the door and placed them next to the clothes she took off. Taking those, I placed them into a hamper for dirty clothes.

After I got back to the bedroom, I removed my jacket and threw it onto the hangar; then took off my shirt, tossing it into a stray hamper in the room. After trading out my blue jeans for a set of loose shorts, I walked to the corner of my bedroom where a bar was drilled securely into the wall. Jumping up, I grabbed on and began a few pull-ups.

Within a few minutes, the shower was shut off and Toyotama stepped out of my bathroom dressed in the clothes I left her. Upon seeing me, however, she paused.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw her just standing there. "Oh, hey. You're out." I dropped down and grabbed a towel, wiping myself off. "MBI just sent you some more clothes." I pointed out the box to her.

Toyotama either didn't really notice or care, because she simply approached me. That's when it really hit me: her, a very attractive, well-proportion female was dressed in nothing but the shirt and shorts I gave her. _Nothing else_. Also, she was still a bit wet; the shirt was white... Upon coming close enough to me, she placed a hand on my chest. "You're reckless, fighting a pair of Sekirei like that. I saw the look of surprise on your face when you dodged, but regardless I saw you leap in the fight without hesitation. You sent shivers down my spine; that look on your face when you took the initiative and attacked, that cold look, it showed me how ruthless you can become." She placed her lips on my cheek, teasing the corner of my mouth. "I know that you have more up your sleeve and I can't wait to see it."

Toyotama dragged her hand down my stomach. I placed my hand onto her shoulder, "I felt you react to me; I wouldn't leave anyone in that position."

Toyotama slowly pulled away from me and got into my futon. Getting under the covers, she turned away from me. "Get some sleep, I want to find those girls tomorrow and get a little revenge for jumping me like that." She paused, "Though, I obviously can't do it alone."

I smirked, "I don't think I can do a lot to help, since they have an idea of what I can do. But, I can find you some help." I opened my closet and pulled out a spare futon.

I heard her laugh, "You probably can." As I finished rolling out my futon, I gave Toyotama one last glance. _I can't get Karasuba and the others to help with this, so I'll need to find another Sekirei. I'm going to actively look for another, though; if another reacts to me, then I'll make her emerge. I'm not forcing a winging._

With that thought, I tried to fall asleep. Keyword 'tried'.


	2. The Scythe

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _To those who 'Favorited' this story, thanks. To those who 'Alerted' this story, thank you. To those who reviewed, THANK YOU! Anyway, I'm a day or two early, as I plan to post these up at least once every week; at first, I will say that things will be a bit slow. Don't worry, I'll be speeding things up over the course of the next few chapters._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Two

The Scythe

Slowly, but surely, I awoke with a refreshed feeling. All in all, yesterday was a really good day. I managed to best Karasuba in a spar for the very first time; I actually went against a Sekirei and lived to tell about it. I was told that if I decided to that, there was a very large chance that a stray attack could kill me, so I felt really good about that. I also winged my first Sekirei, Toyotama, who I have not yet seen in action. Mmm, 'action' could have a lot of connotations that could go along with that. I'm just going to let those stay…

Anyway, I awoke to an interesting sight; I was lying on my back, my various limbs stretched out in different directions, though the same could not be said about my right arm and leg. Toyotama was cuddled up to that side; she had her arms wrapped tightly around my arm, plunging it into her cleavage; my leg had met a similar fate, held in place by her own wrapped around it. Her head was upon my chest, her breathing slow and heavy.

Glancing over Toyotama's head, I saw her own futon in disarray. Truthfully, that one was mine, while the one I slept in was for guests, but I didn't complain. Next to my futon was my digital clock, which was covered by Toyotama's thrown blanket. I hummed silently to myself, trying to figure out what the time was; I didn't want to disturb Toyotama's sleep, so I had to figure out a different battle plan on how to tell what the time was.

Seeing my jacket hanging low on the rack, I lifted my free leg and kicked at it a bit, to knock it loose. After a few moments of prodding, my jacket finally relinquished my cell phone, which fell unceremoniously to the ground. Throwing out my free hand, I had to pull slightly away from my slumbering Sekirei to catch it.

Toyotama grumbled, annoyed at my sudden movement. Cuddling closer, she released my arm and maneuvered herself on top of it while snaking her arms around my neck. Firmly staking her place nearly on top of me, she smiled lightly, satisfied.

I tried not to move too much as I lifted the phone and flipped it open. The time was five minutes till nine, which means I had over an hour until I had to meet the other members of the Disciplinary Squad.

Suddenly, my phone went off in my hand, surprising me to the point of dropping the cellular device. I cursed under my breath as I scrambled to pick it up.

"Ahh, I love it when you talk dirty…" Toyotama sleepily mumbled as she nuzzled her face lightly on mine.

Restraining a chuckle, I picked up my phone and checked what happened. I'd gotten a text from Natsuo. Pressing a button, I read it:

'Takeshi-chan, when you come, be sure to use your practice gloves. Benitsubasa wants to spar. See ya then. '

-Natsuo

I groaned; I really hated sparring with the Crimson Sekirei. It wasn't that the training wasn't tough, it was just as difficult as the sword training; it was just that Benitsubasa herself was a difficult person to get along with. She's overly-violent, consistently mocks me for being weaker, and when she sticks her tongue out during the fight it just makes me want to break something.

Putting my phone on the ground, I casually wrapped my arm around Toyotama, an act that seemed to calm me down. Then she moved her legs to wrap around my waist from the side, which in turn made me question the fact that she was even still asleep. Looking out of my periphery, I could see her cold, light green eyes peering at me. I don't know how she does it, but simply the sight of her cold eyes sent chills of down my spine.

"Cold?" She purred in my ear, smiling lightly.

"Hardly." I muttered as I tried to face her.

Instead of leaning back so that I could face her, Toyotama instead maneuvered herself so that she was directly on top of me, straddling my waist. Peering down at me, she gave me a cool smile. "What was in the text that caused such a displeased reaction from you?"

I met her eyes for a moment, before I had to look away. There was something about that coolness that struck a chord with me on a psychological level, as well as on a physical level. Which was a double whammy, considering it was morning. "It was a message from my colleague at MBI."

She cocked her head to the side, which gave a perfect view down her shirt. I had to avert my eyes before the obvious happened. "Your 'colleague'? What do you do at MBI?"

I shrugged, "I train there every other day. That was a text about a spar I'm scheduled to have."

Toyotama widened her eyes slowly, "You're training directly at MBI?" Leaning away from me, she straddled my waist. "That kind of explains how you did what you did. Who trained you, Takeshi-kun?"

I smiled widely, "By none other than the Black Sekirei, Karasuba."

A look of shock spread across her face as Toyotama looked down at me. "You're kidding?" Shaking her head slowly, she said, "I guess that better explains yesterday. But how are you still alive?" She asked incredulously.

"Luck." I said without hesitation, giving her a smug smile. "Luck that no human has the right to have." Right after I said that, my stomach growled with impunity. It seems that I forgot to eat after all the commotion from yesterday. "Which seems to have run out; I'm absolutely starving."

Toyotama smiled suggestively, already recovering from her previous surprise. "Starving for what, I wonder?" She lightly squeezed my waist between her hips.

I released an unsteady breath, obviously at her question and action. "I'll give you three guesses, the first two don't count."

She lightly bit her lip, but paused. After a moment, Toyotama pushed herself off of me. Pushing a hand through her long hair, she began walking towards the bathroom. "If you want me, I'll be changing into my clothes." As soon as she opened the door to the bathroom, she pulled off the shirt I gave her and tossed it into the bathroom. Before walking in, she looked over her shoulder to me and winked.

As she entered the bathroom and shut the door, I relaxed. Unknowingly, I had tensed up and Toyotama recognized that, hence her retreat of sorts. Placing my head into my hand, I shook my head. "I need to chill; she's a Sekirei so it's natural for that to happen eventually…" Releasing a breath, I rolled a shoulder and pushed myself to my feet. Grabbing a shirt from my closet, I pulled it on and headed down the steps.

Upon entering the kitchen, I paused, thinking that it would be better to go out to eat. Considering that my talents in the kitchen are something one would call average. Plus, I had the MBI card that mom had given me; a card that I hardly ever used at that. "We'll go out to eat." I said to myself after a moments thought.

Making my way back upstairs, I scavenged some clean clothes to change into. As soon as I finished pulling on a pair of jeans, Toyotama strode out of the bathroom, dressed in her outfit from yesterday. Upon seeing me, she smiled lightly. "Are we going out?"

I nodded as I fixed the button on my shorts into place. "Yeah, since I have to be at MBI's training facility by ten, I figured it be better to go to a breakfast place on the way." I shrugged a single shoulder and brushed a hand through my curly grey hair. "Plus, if you got to see the badass side of me, I think it's fair if my kinder side gets to show you a good time." I clicked my tongue and winked lightly. Pulling on a t-shirt, I grabbed a jacket to put over it. I grabbed my cell and slid into my jacket pocket, then took my wallet from the table and slid that into my back pocket. "Let's go."

I motioned for Toyotama to lead the way as we headed down the steps. As soon as she reached the bottom step, she grabbed her staff and waited for me to open the door. I unlocked it and opened it.

When the two of us exited, I locked the door and lead us to our destination, with her right at my side.

"Where are we going?" Toyotama asked; her voice just above a whisper.

"Just a place I usually take the girls in my life." I said ambiguously.

"Oh?" She purred in my ear. "Was your love life lively before the Game?" I could sense a bit of apprehension in her voice, which struck me as kind of strange. Toyotama didn't seem to be the type to be affected too much by things such as past flames.

I shrugged a single shoulder, "I was never bored, if that's what you're implying. Compared to my hellish training, talking to girls was as easy as breathing. Then again, I've always been an outgoing and charismatic person, so I guess it came with the territory."

That seemed to put Toyotama at ease from what I could tell of her body language.

The walk to the restaurant was uneventful, from a few standpoints: for one) there was a little small talk between Toyotama and me; two) I could tell she was keeping an eye out for other Sekirei, namely the lightning users. Three) I couldn't help but notice the strange glances from my fellow pedestrians, directed towards Toyotama. Not that she seemed to care, but I felt some form of slight annoyance. I could understand why, what with her strange clothes, but I didn't like it.

"It's just around the corner." I said as we reached an intersection. As soon as we stepped pass the corner, I heard an argument over a very strange subject.

"What do you mean I can't bring my scythe into the store? I can't just leave it sitting out here; it's my precious Death Scythe!"

"Uh, miss, that's exactly why I can't let you bring it inside. For one it's a scythe; two, the fact that you called it a 'Death Scythe' kinda helps me prove my point." A man stood in front of the door, blocking a girl's entry into his store.

The girl stomped, holding the shaft of the scythe tightly. "I can't let this get away from me, though." She pouted; I could see her laboring over a logical reason to help her keep it. She was a Sekirei, obviously, and I could tell that the scythe was her weapon. One she could not be without in case an enemy Sekirei decided to attack her. Or an unwanted Ashikabi tried to force himself on her.

Of course, she wouldn't be able to tell him the real reason she needed it. The Sekirei Plan was a secret to all but those taking part.

Clearing my throat, I caught both of their attention. "Excuse me; I think I can resolve this situation." I said with a confident smile.

The man beamed when he saw me. "Ah, Hitomi-kun. It's good to see that you're doing well."

I returned his smile, "Same to you, Fukui-san." I glanced over to the girl with the scythe. She seemed to be transfixed on me, but when our eyes met, her face flushed. She bit her lip and quickly turned away from me, though I noticed that she was still looking at me through her periphery. I looked back to Fukui-san and pulled out my wallet. "Look, I understand what you mean by not letting her in with that scythe, but if I keep an eye on her, will you make an exception?"

The girl with the scythe froze, then turned towards me. Staring incredulously, she didn't even try to hide her fascination.

Fukui grimaced, "I don't know, Hitomi-kun…"

I lifted my wallet and showed him my ID. "You're looking at the newest member of MBI's security staff. Takeshi Hitomi." I lowered my wallet and smirked, "Big companies like that, and you know it's difficult to be even a janitor for one of them. Look, you know that I'm good at dealing with unruly customers." I distinctly remember approaching and disarming a would-be armed gunman who tried to rob Fukui's restaurant.

He sucked in a hesitant breath, rubbing the back of his head. "I know you are, but I run a family restaurant. The sight of that scythe will probably scare away a few of my customers."

I smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry about it; I'll take care of it."

Moments later, Fukui-san had all three of us in a booth in the far corner of the restaurant. The girl, who introduced herself as Yomi, had put her scythe under the table against the wall as per my request. Toyotama placed her staff there as well, more so to ensure my safety by trapping it than anything else.

"Um, uh, thank you, Hitomi-kun." She squirmed in her seat directly across from me. She wore a white dress with a black corset attached to it. The white dress fell to around her upper thigh, with a pair of black stripes along the sides; the corset was predominately black, save for a few red stripes going down the front. Around her neck was red ribbon and black choker; her long hair was a light brown and had a ribbon of sorts in the back. She wore a pair of black shoes with thigh-high socks.

I shook my head lightly, "It's no problem, Yomi. I just like helping others, is all." Though my attention was mostly focused on Yomi, I could see in my periphery that Toyotama was sitting back in her seat, completely relaxed. That was a farce; her cold eyes were sharp with suspicion as she kept them locked onto Yomi.

The scythe-wielder either didn't notice or didn't care, since she was obviously focused on me. "Well, I still want to thank you…." She trailed off, making me arch an eyebrow.

"Thank me? You don't have to feel like you have to; I only did it-"

"I know!" Yomi said quickly. "But, my body feels like it's on fire." She placed a hand over her chest. "My heart started racing the moment I saw you, but when our eyes met, it felt like it was going to burst from my chest." She looked up to me pleadingly.

Taking that in, I looked over to Toyotama. "Does that describe what you felt when you reacted to me?"

She paused in consideration, and then nodded. "In a nutshell; although, when I saw you fight, I thought my legs would give out from below me." Toyotama said without shame, grinning widely as she met my eyes.

I nodded, then faced Yomi; only to see her looking to her fellow Sekirei in wonder. "Your Ashikabi, and my future one, fought against a Sekirei?"

Toyotama met Yomi's look of wonder with one of nostalgia, though I could've taken it as one of a sadistic fantasy. "You should've seen it: he charged in, heading right towards one of the lightning twins. No matter how many times they fired a bolt at him, my Ashikabi evaded all of them." She leaned over to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me close.

From the look on Yomi's face, I could tell that she was both jealous and awe-struck. Glancing over to Toyotama, I could see the smug look on her face; though, I could also tell from the firm, but soft, grip on my arm, that she wanted to continue holding me.

Yomi then looked to me, "You actually did that." She traced a finger over her bottom lip. "I wish you were my Ashikabi…"

I released a breath, not really believing what was happening. "You're reacting to me; I can't really let you go on like that." Looking over to Toyotama, I asked, "You don't mind, do you?"

She blinked, surprised. "Are you asking me whether I mind if you wing another Sekirei?" She paused in thought as I nodded. "You're really kind…" She stared into my eyes. Suddenly, she broke contact with a blink. Then she smiled widely, "Go ahead, Takeshi-kun; this way, I'll have back up for my rematch and you'll another Sekirei. It helps us both."

I chuckled, "You're a strange one, Toyotama. But I like that, it keeps me guessing." Turning to Yomi, I stood from my seat and walked around the table to stand in front of her. "Are you sure you want me to be your Ashikabi?"

Yomi nodded quickly, her eyes jumping from my eyes to my lips.

I smirked and leaned down, lightly grabbing her chin. When our lips met, the familiar light appeared. Yomi was getting her wings, just as Toyotama did. The kiss didn't last long, due to the fact that we weren't in the right place for it. As the light died out, I broke the kiss and locked eyes with her.

"I'm yours, Takeshi-sama, forever and ever." Yomi whispered breathlessly.

"That's just like you, Takeshi-kun. All it takes is one look and you've hooked the girl." One of Fukui-san's employees, Kana, stood in front of my table with a hand on her hip. "Though, I don't think it's a good idea to kiss another girl in front of you current girlfriend." She gestured to Toyotama.

She simply shook her head, "I don't mind one bit. The more the merrier I say." Her cold eyes traveled down my body from where I stood.

Kana released a breath, chuckling, "Wow, Takeshi-kun, you've found yourself a very open-minded girl."

I snorted, "More like she found me, Kana." I made my way to my seat, plopping down.

Amused, Kana smiled and said, "Oh, really. Well count yourself lucky; not many girls are willing to let what you just did slide. Besides, that's no where near as strange as what I've been seeing lately. All these strange women wearing even stranger clothes like your friend there." Looking from Toyotama to Yomi, she mock-whispered, "Takeshi-kun is a little shy at some points; if you want him to take the initiative, tease him a bit."

I groaned, "Kana, will you stop with that. If you're here to take our orders, then please do so; they don't need to hear your advice. You already know what I want to order."

She smirked, "Maybe so, but I'm one of the few who know you really well." After that, she took Yomi's and Toyotama's orders; the sheer amount the two of them ordered surprised both her and me. Well, me less so, considering I've eaten out with the entirety of the current Disciplinary Squad. They nearly put that poor, unsuspecting restaurant out of business.

After getting our breakfast, the three of us went about satisfying our hunger. I finished first, with the least amount eaten. My two companions went entrée for entrée, with no end in sight. Twelve full-sized plates later, Yomi fell back her seat with a sigh. Toyotama finished a few plates later.

There was so much ordered and eaten that Fukui-san came out to 'inspect the damages', per se. Upon seeing the plates stacked high, he blanched. When he saw me reaching into my pocket for my wallet, he lifted a hand and said. "You don't need to, Hitomi-kun. Your money's no good here."

I could obviously see the strain in his face as he said that. It tore him apart to say those words after seeing the after effects of fully feeding two Sekirei. I chuckled, "It' not my money I'll be using then." Pulling out my MBI card, I held it out to him. "It'll be MBI's. I don't even want to see the bill, just take the card and cash it up there. Bring it back though, it's my only one."

Relieved, Fukui-san took the card and retreated to the front desk.

After everything was dealt with, Yomi, Toyotama and I left the restaurant. As we walked towards our next destination, Yomi, on my left, cheerfully asked, "Where are we going, master?"

"We're heading to MBI."

Yomi scrunched her eyebrows. "Why are we going to MBI?"

I chuckled, "I'm heading there for a spar and to get briefed on my duties there."

Toyotama chose that point to jump in, "Who are you sparring with, Takeshi-kun?"

"Benitsubasa."

Yomi coughed, clearly surprised. Clearing her throat, she ran in front of me, nearly taking my head off. "A Sekirei! Why are you going to fight a Sekirei?" She clearly already forgot that I what Toyotama had said earlier.

I stopped, pushing a hand through my hair. "I'm sparring with her because it's part of my training. You and Toyotama are free to watch." I paused, thinking for a moment. "Oh, yeah, since I'm your Ashikabi, the two of you are now a part of the Disciplinary Squad."

Toyotama, this time, chose to step in front of me, next to Yomi. "You're a part of the Disciplinary Squad?" I saw something in her eyes that resembled something bordering on disgust, as if she didn't like the sound of it. "Why are you a part of the Disciplinary Squad?"

"I was asked by the two people I appreciate the most: my mother and my trainer. Though, my mom didn't like the thought of it, my trainer absolutely loved the thought of it." I paused, a thought coming to mind. "While, yes, we can punish those who don't follow the rules; that doesn't necessarily mean that we have to follow them."

At that, Toyotama's feeling obviously of nigh-disgust vanished, only to be replaced by glee. "You are so wonderfully evil. I am perversely glad that you are my Ashikabi."

I grinned, "Glad to please."

Yomi was also a part of the mild festivities, though she appeared to be confused about something. "If you're able to fight against Sekirei, then who trained you."

Before I could answer, Toyotama spoke, "Karasuba."

I strode into the training facility, and saw the others all waiting. Benitsubasa saw me coming first and promptly started walking towards. "You're late, Takeshi!"

Almost instantly, Toyotama and Yomi were directly in front of me, their staff and scythe prepared, respectively.

I placed a calming hand on each of their shoulders, "It's okay, she always sounds pissed off." That didn't seem to calm either of them, but it did make them partially lower their weapons. Checking my watch, I looked up to the Crimson Sekirei with a sarcastic smirk, "Yeah, I'm _so_ late, Beni, that my watch took pity on me and rewinded itself seven minutes back from ten."

Benitsubasa grounded out a frustrated growl at my shortening of her name. "How any times have I told you to stop calling me that?" Benitsubasa glare angrily at me with her light red eyes; after a moment, she shook her head angrily, shaking her pink hair vigorously, the daisy clips dangerously close to flying out. Turning, she angrily stopped towards the center of the training mats. "Just hurry up and change into your uniform. I'm getting impatient."

I snorted, "When are you not impatient?" Shrugging out of my jacket, I held it out to Toyotama to take. When she did, I removed my glasses and held them out to Yomi. "Could the two of you hold onto these for me? They'll just get in the way."

Yomi took my glasses with a small nod.

After exiting the locker room, I pulled my black gloves on, making them fit snugly on my hand. At that point, all I wore were those gloves, a set of matching tape and a pair of sweats. Taking my place a few feet away from Benitsubasa, I kicked a few times to stretch out. Stretching out my arms, I asked, "So what's the special occasion, Beni? Or is there really no reason aside from wanting to pick on a 'lowly human' such as I?" I arched an eyebrow.

The Crimson Sekirei simply smirked, "I just want to welcome you to the Squad. Isn't that special enough?"

Though I tried my hardest not to react, I couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow at her sudden change in attitude. I returned her smirk, "Well, isn't that nice. I may not have much of a chance to win, but I'll show you that I'm not a joke." I readied into a stance. "Whenever you're ready."

She shook her head, "You start us off."

I didn't hesitate in obliging. Lunging forward, I threw a quick, left jab. She smacked it away, rapped me in the stomach and pushed me away with a shove to the head. Going with the flow, I threw out a hand and flipped back to an upright position. Charging forward again, I threw another jab, followed by a feint.

Beni smacked the punch away and fell for the feint, getting right into position for a kick to her gut. Catching my foot, she threw me into the air and leapt after me. Not wanting her to get too close, I spun my body and unleashed a volley of whirlwind kicks that surprised her…and me, in fact. The speed and force I could feel behind my attacks were something I didn't realize I actually had.

Apparently, neither did Beni, because she allowed one kick to break through her defense and catch her across the jaw. Falling back to the ground, Benitsubasa let out a strangled cry.

I grinned and spun midair, angling myself in a downward kick aimed for my opponent. Using gravity as an accelerator, I kicked towards her.

Benitsubasa clicked her tongue and glared up at me, catching my foot and throwing me to the side. Throwing out my hands, I stopped myself from sliding off the training mat. Planting my foot onto the edge of the mat, I pushed myself back towards Beni, hoping my luck would hold out. I barely dodged one of her punches, feeling the wind itself cut into my cheek. Throwing an uppercut, I watched in vain as Benitsubasa evaded it with a smug look; smirking, I bent my arm downward and attempted an elbow.

She leapt forward and I followed, lunging forward with my right hand. Reaching passed her head, I grasped at the air, only to have the Crimson Sekirei plant her foot on my stomach and roughly push me away.

I tumbled backwards, rolling faster than I would prefer. Colliding with the wall, I stopped myself from smacking the back of my head on the wall.

Benitsubasa placed a hand on her hip and smiled triumphantly. "No matter how hard you push yourself, you can never hope to match a Sekirei in combat."

I snickered to myself, then it escalated into boisterous laughter.

She grimaced, "What the hell is so damn funny?"

I managed to calm myself in time to hear Karasuba answer the question for me. "Your hair, Benitsubasa."

The Crimson Sekirei lifted a hand, then promptly froze. It was no longer held up by her set of daisy clips. It was lying freely all over her shoulders.

I lifted my hand and opened, in between my fingers were her daisy clips. "I'm not trying to match a Sekirei; I'm trying to better understand how one would feel in combat so that I can better understand my Sekirei." I pushed myself to my feet, "Besides, it doesn't matter how stronger you are than your opponent; if you underestimate them, they will bite harder than you can ever imagine."

Throughout that entire spar, Yomi was watching me with unbelieving eyes a look of pure shock. It appeared that she didn't really understand when Toyotama said I fought with one of the lightning twins.

Toyotama, on the other hand, seemed to not have the appropriate respect for my abilities. Though she didn't look as shocked as Yomi, the look she had could equate considering from what I knew of her demeanor: her eyes were wide, showing the whites.

Karasuba looked at the two of them and chuckled lightly, "Would you believe me if I said that he was just getting started?"

Yomi looked to the Black Sekirei, gaping. "Really?" She asked her; obviously completely unafraid of whom she was speaking to.

Throwing the clips toward Benitsubasa, I watched as she threw her hand out to catch them. Little did she know that I was right behind them; following the clips closely and jumped up as soon as she caught the clips. I threw out a kick and watched as she dodged it. As I descended, I spun and pulled my foot inward. When I was closer to the ground and directly in front of Benitsubasa, I threw out my second kick.

She caught my leg, but didn't get a chance to throw me like before. I threw a second kick, followed by a third, then fourth. It may seem like a desperation tactic, but I know Benitsubasa. Get under her under skin enough and she won't be able to focus at all. Shrieking in frustration, she tossed me to the side.

Catching myself, I got upright just in time to see Benitsubasa charging for me. Throwing wild punches, I managed to get exactly I was aiming for: an enraged Crimson Sekirei. Her attacks were swift, of course, but she telegraphed them from a mile away. Normally, I wouldn't be able to keep up with her, but this is a little different. Instead of _keeping up_, I'm anticipating every move she throws at me. It's crazy; it's suicidal, but hey, it's all I can do.

Ducking to dodge a punch, I reared back my hands and threw them forward. They caught her across the stomach and chest. The force behind the blow wasn't much, but it was enough to knock the air out of her and force her back.

Seeing Beni recover almost instantly caused me to feel a slight apprehension. Then I saw her lunge at me with a fury in her eyes. A single word left my lips as I saw my impending doom, "Shit."

At least I thought so at first. In the span of a second, I saw Toyotama rush in and sweep Beni's feet out from under her with her staff. Spinning it, she brought it down towards Benitsubasa's head. As quickly as she appeared, she stopped her attack with her pointed towards the Crimson Sekirei's throat.

"Touch my Ashikabi again, spar or not, and I will end you." The words were curt, cold, and extremely appropriate considering what I saw in Benitsubasa's eyes as she actually tried to hurt me. Or that's what it appeared to be.

I regained my balance and walked towards my Sekirei. "You don't have to be that serious, Toyotama. It was just a spar. Things just got a bit intense."

After a few moments of brisk, contained conversation Natsuo left with Benitsubasa, obviously to try and calm her down. I had a towel draped over my shoulders and sat on the bench with my two Sekirei flanking me. "How'd I do, Karasuba?"

The Black Sekirei smiled lightly, "You've gotten a little better; though, all you really did was piss off Benitsubasa."

I snickered, "That's what I wanted; if I can get them off their game, then it'll easier for my girls to finish the job."

My mom cleared her throat, clearly not pleased with what I just said. "Takeshi, I really don't think it would prudent to do that." She rubbed her temple with a single knuckle, my recklessness obviously worrying her.

I nodded, "I know that, but it doesn't feel right to just let them do all the fighting. I want to help, one way or the other," I shrugged, "Maybe I can deal with the Ashikabi and end the fight before it gets out of hand?"

Takami groaned, clearly wanting me to not fight altogether.

I released a breath, conceding. "Alright, fine, I won't fight other Sekirei, so you can rest easy, mom."

She pursed her lips, clearly doubting my word. "Okay, if you say you won't then I'll believe you."

After a few more exchange of pleasantries, my Sekirei and I left the training facility. As we were walking, Yomi asked, "Where are we heading to now, Takeshi-sama?"

"Well," I paused, checking my watch. "I have work in little over an hour, so I have to get back home and shower. I also have to change into my work clothes."

She sucked in a breath, "We're going to your home?" She sounded excited, for some strange reason. "What's going to happen?" She said mostly to herself.

I scrunched my eyebrows, "Um, I'm going to shower, then go to work. The two of you are going to stay and hold down the fort."

"Wait, don't you work for MBI, as a Disciplinary Squad member?" Toyotama seemed honestly perplexed. "And why do we have to stay at your home while you go to work?" I could see her crossing her arms, slightly put off.

I cleared my throat, "For you question number one: I just started yesterday. I've been working at the construction yard for the past few months; I'm already a supervisor. For question umber two: if the two of you are following me everywhere I go, it's going to invite other, emerged Sekirei to fight us and I really don't want that at the site, it's too much of a hazard." After a moment, I continued, "To lessen the anxiety, I'll leave my cell number with you. If anything happens, you can call me for an emergency. I'll call home if anything happens, okay?"

That seemed to be satisfactory, since Toyotama nodded a moment later.

"Where is the construction site you've been working?" Yomi asked innocently.

"Near the botanical gardens. It's really difficult to miss." I answered bluntly.


	3. The Wind

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, here's chapter three. Truthfully, I have nothing to say, but I'm trying to get into the habit of putting author notes just in case I do have stuff to say. The reason for this author note is to explain my method of posting stories. As I post this, I'm working on Chapter 6; the way I'm doing this is by way of when I managed to write out a chapter. What I want to do is keep what I've written a few chapters ahead, at least three. It's for my sake, just as much as it's for the readers._

_Anyway, on with the chapter... Read, enjoy, review and the like._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Three

The Wind

We made it back to my place with around forty five minutes until I have to get to work. As soon as we reached the doorstep, I saw a brown box was a folded piece of paper taped to the top of it. Ripping the note from the box, I unfolded and read it. 'For Number 43, Yomi'.

I folded the paper and slid it into my pocket. "It seems like they sent us some spare clothes for you, Yomi." I pulled out my key and unlocked the door, picking up the box as I walked inside. Heading upstairs, I placed Yomi's box next to Toyotama's.

Yomi walked inside and looked around slowly. "You live here, Master?" She slowly approached the steps and glanced up to me.

"Yeah." I said as I rifled through my clothes. "Also, Yomi, you don't have to call me 'Master'. Just call me by my name. 'Takeshi'." I grabbed the house key and said, "Toyotama. Catch." I lobbed the key towards her.

Catching it, she checked what it was, then looked up to me.

"I want the two of you to hold onto the key. When I get back, open the door for me." Standing, I pulled my shirt off and headed for the bathroom. Entering, I shut the door behind me and started the water. Shedding the rest of my clothes, I started the shower and stepped under the water. It was immensely refreshing to feel the hot water cascade down my body after an intensive; it was almost worth the near-death experience…almost.

After a few moments, I shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing my towel, I proceeded to dry my hair as I left the bathroom. That was when I heard a sudden gasp. Pulling the towel off my head, I realized that Yomi was staring directly at me, her hands instantly covering her eyes; or so it seemed, considering she was peeking through her fingers.

"Takeshi-sama, already? I mean, we just met and normally we'd wait, but if that's what you want." I saw her reach behind her neck.

I lifted a hand and sputtered, "Wait, wait, wait! What are yo-" That's when I realized it. I'm so used to living alone, that I walked out of my own bathroom, naked, and right into Yomi.

"What is it?" Toyotama walked up the steps leading the second floor. However, as she reached the top, her eyes locked onto me. Slowly, she arched an eyebrow, "Wow, you work fast, Takeshi-kun. I didn't figure you the type to jump us this early." She licked her lips.

I cursed under my breath and swiftly wrapped the towel around my waist. "This was an accident; I'm used to living alone." Walking passed Yomi, I grabbed my uniform and walked briskly under my breath; I couldn't but hear a disappointed mew from Yomi as I went back into the bathroom.

Moments later, I walked back out, fully clothed and blushing lightly. "That never happened. Understood?"

Yomi placed her hands on her face, flushing deeply. "I saw Takeshi-sama." She muttered to herself.

I shook my head and walked down the stairs. Looking to Toyotama, I said, "Keep an eye on Yomi for me." I grabbed my wallet and slid it into a compartment underneath my uniform. Taking my helmet, I headed to the front door. "I'll be back in a little while, hold down the fort."

"Of course, Takeshi-kun. Be careful out there." She paused, then smiled, "Try to hold off on winging anymore Sekirei."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "I'll try." Opening the door, I left my home. The way to work was uneventful, which I don't know whether or not it was a bad thing. Upon reaching the construction yard, I slipped on my helmet and approached the head supervisor. "Hello, sir, I'm here."

He beamed when he saw me, patting me on the back. "Hitomi-kun, it's good to see that you're early. If you don't mind, I'd like you to keep an eye on the group working near the entrance; they've been notorious for slacking off. I hope you would use your influence with your coworkers to keep them working?"

I shrugged slightly, "It's no problem. It is what I was promoted for, wasn't it?"

He laughed to himself, "We're lucky to have found you, Hitomi-kun. You'll get your supervisor's pay, but I managed to talk the higher ups into a raise for you."

I blinked, "You vouched for me?" I chuckled lightly, "You didn't have to do that, I could've asked on my own. Besides, you know I don't want one right now."

Glaring, he continued, "Hitomi-kun, you're one of our best workers. You have to show a little ambition, otherwise you'll just take advantage of; anyway, we need more people like you."

I snorted, "If you had more people like me, you'd be out of a job."

The boss let out a boisterous laugh, "You're such a jokester, Hitomi-kun!"

I shook my head, "Anyway, where am I needed?" I was told to start near the entrance. Making my way towards the entrance, I saw that they were obviously doing nothing. Clearing my throat, I clapped my hands to get their attention. "Alright, guys, breaks over. You've had ample time to sit back and rest."

Normally, you'd think it strange to have someone half your age bossing you around, but everyone here has seen me work just as hard, if not harder, as everyone else here. Well, I think the biggest reason is that the guys I work with happened to be near when Karasuba and my mother came to visit me at work. The Black Sekirei gives off this frightening aura and carries a sword in broad daylight; the fact that I was able to speak with her without having my knees quake in her presence was more than enough for me to gain their respect.

One of the guys, one of the few who were obviously twice my age, grinned. "Aw, and I was hoping that you'd take the day off, Takeshi-kun." Shaking his head, he released a breath, "I swear, no one takes their job as seriously as you do."

I snorted, "If I didn't, then who would?" I shrugged, "Besides, if I did take the day off, I'd have nothing to do for the entire day."

He shook his head, lifting his pickaxe and slamming it into the ground. "You need a girl, Takeshi-kun. A girl who can cook for you; she could even bring your lunch here if you forgot it." He paused, then grinned. "You forgot it again, didn't you?"

I paused, then grimaced. "Yeah, I did, Motou-kun,"

He laughed lightly, "If it helps, I can introduce you to my daughter. She's a year younger than you, but she can cook even better than my wife." He paused, "Hina's pretty shy, though…"

One of the other workers Aizawa, interjected, "I'd be careful, Takeshi-kun's a bit of a player. Earlier today, I saw him walking around with two girls at his heels. They weren't bad looking, either."

I froze, but managed to play it off with a small smile. "Oh, really?"

Aizawa gave me a sly look, "Our little Takeshi-kun ain't as harmless as you may think. Though, they were mighty strange; the two of them were dress in strange clothes and I swear I thought I saw one of them holding a scythe." He eyed me, "You have a thing for cosplayers?"

I snorted, "You must've been seeing things, Aizawa-kun. Now back to work, there's been enough talking." I picked up a copy of the architectural schematics for the building in progress and took a seat on one of the unused I-beams, which had been relegated as a bench to all the workers, and now me. Looking over the schematics, I glanced up to the structure. Everything was going as planned, so far there weren't any problems, and issues. Rolling up the sheet of paper, I placed it next to me and crossed my arms. Looking up to the naked structure in front of me, I couldn't help but think of what I was going to do for lunch. I forgot to make something the previous night, thus I didn't have anything to eat for today.

I figured it would be best to call home and ask if one of my girls could make something. I pulled out my phone and whistled to the boss, "I need to make a call real quick, I'll still keep an eye on things."

He waved me off with a sly grin.

Rolling my eyes with a smirk, I flipped through my contacts and found my home number. Pressing a button, I put the phone to my ear and waited not a single ring when one of them answered.

"Takeshi-sama! What's wrong?" Yomi yelled into the phone, causing me to pull it away with a grimace. She continued to gabber away as I tried to find a place to interrupt her. Waiting patiently, I suddenly heard as someone in the background snap at her, followed a small scuffle.

Toyotama's calm, cold voice came smoothly from the speaker. "Takeshi-kun, what's happened?" Though she didn't sound as frantic as her fellow Sekirei, I could hear the well-concealed apprehension.

"It's nothing bad." I said soothingly. "Tell Yomi not to worry; I just called to wonder if one of you could get a lunch together for me. I kind of forgot to make one yesterday what with everything that happened. I don't mind buying bread, I just prefer homemade food."

I heard her relay my message to Yomi; after that, there were a few moments of slight silence, with only the background sound of whispering. I couldn't help but smirk as I heard the sound of the two of them agreeing simultaneously on something. "Well?" I said amusingly after a few moments.

Toyotama cleared her throat, "We'll see what we can do…"

There was a pregnant pause as I actually was left at a loss for words for what she said. "Um, okay." I chuckled lightly. "Well, if you can, then let me know. If not, it's no big deal, just warn me. I'd rather not work at a construction yard with an empty stomach." Clearing my throat, I looked towards the men I was supposed to be supervising. Seeing a collection of different expressions that ran the gambit for amused, I shook my head and said, "Well, I need to go. See you later, then."

"Yeah, see you." Toyotama replied quickly.

In the background, I could hear Yomi say, "I love you, Tak-" Then the phone clicked off, having already hung up.

Shaking my head with a smile, I closed it and slid it into my pocket. I glanced over to the workers. Aizawa-kun beamed from ear to ear with amusement. "Tell me, Hitomi-kun, was that the tall one? Or the girl with the scythe?"

"Get back to work!" I snapped, not without blushing lightly. "If you have time to tease, then you can give up your next break." I sneered evilly.

He looked affronted, "Well, haven't you become tyrannical in all of your newfound power over us." He clicked his tongue, amused, and went back to work.

I released a breath and shook my head. Sitting back, I relaxed into my seat on the I-beam. As I did, I couldn't help but think of my role in this game. Did I really want to be in the Disciplinary Squad? I mean, sure; I could get some really cool perks, but was it really worth it? The rate I was going with these Sekirei was actually alarming, considering I've only winged two. Regardless of that, their reactions were astonishingly instant. As much as I was glad that they asked me to join, I was already feeling iffy about it. Since I was now already a part of the game as an Ashikabi, I didn't really need to be on the Disciplinary Squad.

Plus, getting away from Benitsubasa would make my life a helluva lot better. One could never get far enough from that chest-envy, love-messiah-wannabe, battle-hungry witch. I know that seems mean-spirited, but my kindness only stretches out to those who don't wear out my patience. Other than that, I really have no excuse, nor am I going to try and shield myself with one on the fly. I'm a man of my principles.

Although, there is one thing that can make me go against I believe in for the sake of a single moe-filled smile; and that, my friends, is the cute little girl. I'm not a damn lolicon, don't misunderstand, I just find them to be adorably immoveable. I'm a sap for one, more so than I'd be one for a beautiful girl around my age. All it takes is a pout and/or the word 'onii-chan' and I'm her personal attendant. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with my stubborn, perverted and bishounen-obsessed imouto, Yukari Sahashi, and how she never fulfilled the stereotypical role as the cute, adorable imouto. But, hey, she's my imouto and I wouldn't change her for the world.

I bring that up because what happened next spurred my inflated big-brother instinct into action. Leaning back, I stretched absently, feeling a little tired. As I leaned back, I saw a large pink balloon floating into the sky, close to the building structure.

"Mama, I lost my balloon and I reach it!" A young girl's voice came from the other side of the wall.

"I'm sorry, honey, but it's too high." The mother responded sullenly.

I shot up, acting more on instinct than on thought. Walking to the entrance to the construction yard, I rounded around the corner and saw the little girl looking at her ascending balloon with sad, puppy-dog eyes. She wore her pitch-black hair in ponytails and wore a blue skirt, a white shirt with a blue jacket.

I was halfway hooked.

I cleared my throat, catching the attention of both the mother and daughter. "Um, excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your problem. I can still get the balloon if you want me to." I looked to the mother first, for her answer. She was wearing a business suit of sorts, a long skirt, a dress shirt with a grey jacket and a set of heels.

She looked at me, with slight incredulity. "Are you sure? I'm sure it's not possible right now." She gave me a small thankful look, then peered up to the balloon.

I shrugged and approached the girl, crouching down. "Say, do you want onii-chan to get your balloon? I'll make sure to get it with my super awesome martial art skills." I winked at her with a small smile.

She lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really, onii-chan? You'll get my balloon?" She looked up to her mother and said quickly, "Can he, can he, mama? Can he go after my balloon?"

The mother looked at me with a perplexing glance, then to her daughter. "He can try; but it's so high up, sweetie. I don't think it's possible." She glanced to me and asked, "Can you get it?"

I was hooked. By the Kami in the sky, I was hooked. She gave me those puppy dog eyes and called me 'onii-chan'. I had to get that damn balloon; else I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Giving the mother my most confident smile, I met her eyes with unmoving surety. "Oh, yeah. I'll get that balloon."

Turning abruptly, I walked quickly to the cherry picker and whistled to the boss. "Oy, I'll be using this for a little while. You know, supervision from atop, making sure no one is slacking; taking initiative and all that jazz." As I spoke, I pressed the button to send it up.

He simply sighed heavily and shook his head, waving me off.

I grinned and quickly looked up to the balloon; it was still out of reach, but I was gaining on it. Slowly, ever so slowly. The damn cherry picker was moving so frickin' slow that I could actually see the balloon getting further and further away from me. If it got away before I got to it, then I'd have to return as a failure. If I returned as a failure, then the cute, little girl would be sad, then she'd cry, then the mother would be pissed at me for getting her hopes up then dashing them. Making a young girl cry, dashing her hopes in such a cold way, is one thing I will never condone, no matter how long I live. It would be… be… be…

UNFORGIVEABLE!

Stepping back so that I had my back to the edge of the cherry picker, I pushed myself forward and planted my lead foot onto the railing, propelling my body into the air. Throwing my hands forward, I latched onto the edge of one of the I-beams and pulled myself up. Getting to my feet, I planted me feet flatly on the I-beam and released a breath. Running forward, I went up a few steps up an I-beam and kicked off of it, shooting myself to the next I-beam.

That went on for a few minutes as I steadily made my way up the naked building, doing acrobatics that would cause all but the bravest to quake in fear. To me, this wasn't the first time I'd done something dangerous; I just took it as practice for my parkour and building stamina and agility just in case I had to evade a Sekirei. Keep in mind what I just said earlier; 'evade a Sekirei', not fight one. See? I'm not a _total_ idiot.

With that said, after the twelfth trek upwards, my hands slipped and I nearly fell. Releasing a soft curse, I threw my legs upwards and managed to hook one of my knees into the indent of the 'I' in the I-beam. Releasing a steady breath, I resumed my trek upwards, being a little more careful.

Within a few moments, I reached the pinnacle of the building. Standing partially triumphant, I looked around for the balloon. It was a few feet up and away from me, out of my reach. I released a breath and crossed my arms. "Well, damn; the moment I get up here the balloon just up and decides that it doesn't want to be caught."

"Do you normally talk to yourself?" A woman's sultry voice caught me off-balance so much that I nearly lose my footing.

Grabbing the sides of the I-beam for dear life, I breathe out raggedly. "Don't scare me like that!" I looked over to the speaker and saw that she was a Sekirei. Normally, if one wanted to keep a Game like the Sekirei Plan secret from the general public, then you'd make the participants wear regular clothing. I guess that's not the case with the CEO of MBI, Hiroto Minaka. He wants the Game to secret, however he lets the Sekirei wear the most outlandish and, dare I say, provocative outfits known to mankind, I'm kind of guessing that deep down, he wants everyone to know about his Game, in a Freudian kinda way. With all the crap he's pulled, his actions don't sound logical to me; but then again, the logic of a psychopath is not the same as the logic of normal human being.

The Sekirei before me was sitting on the I-beams, relaxing and drinking sake like there was no tomorrow. She was dressed in what I would loosely call a Chinese 'dress', considering it fell to _just_ below her upper thighs, barely covered her breast and revealed her belly-button. I have to say, it was the most revealing outfit of all the Sekirei I have seen roaming on the streets, and, boy, were there revealing outfits. Her dark purple hair was longer, reaching down to her lower back; it was tied in the back. She looked me up and down, a slight blush on her face from the alcohol…at least I _think_ so. "Who might you be?"

I looked at her for a moment, then out to the balloon. Sighing, I plopped down. "Name's Takeshi Hitomi. I'm a supervisor at this site; and I'm also an Ashikabi, so I know that you're a Sekirei." I paused, then, "If I may ask; what's your name?"

The Sekirei arched a slim dark purple eyebrow. "Oh, you're a treat; athletic, polite, _and_ an Ashikabi. You're a little too good to be true." She took a small drink of her sake. "My name is Kazehana. And if _I_ may ask; what brought you up here? This isn't exactly the safest place for an Ashikabi without his Sekirei." She paused, and then smiled seductively. "Unless you're here to wing little old me."

The smile…did things to me. I had to squirm a little to get resituated. "That's not the reason; besides, I wouldn't wing you." Kazehana almost looked disappointed. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I have morals I feel obligated to follow. I'll only wing a Sekirei if she reacts to me and if she wants me to wing her."

Kazehana licked her lower lip in thought, another action that…did things to me. "That's admirable, Ashikabi-kun." She smiled lightly, "I wonder why you feel that way…"

"It's because I know that, to a Sekirei, the kiss is the most important thing. With a single kiss, a Sekirei will give all of her mind, body and soul to their Ashikabi. I haven't heard a single human to ever do that to another." I paused, "As a human, I know that I will never fully understand the true meaning behind that devotion, but forcing a Sekirei to become winged is wrong. It's the equivalent to rape, but on a deeper level than that. Once winged, you can't betray or leave your Ashikabi, whether or not it was meant to be." I shook my head, "I would never, _ever_, tear away someone's chance at finding happiness with the person their meant to be with; and if I saw anyone trying to take that chance away from any of these little birds, then I would feel obligated to stop them." I clenched my fist angrily. "By force, if I had to."

I hadn't realized it, but I was shaking with anger, with pent-up fury. Making an effort to calm down, I breathed in and out, deeply and slowly. Feeling myself get back to my normal temperament, I sighed, "Sorry, Kazehana-san. I kinda got philosophical, there." I chuckled lightly.

Kazehana simply looked at me with contemplative eyes. "'Little birds', huh? Say, Ashikabi-kun, where did you learn that? What you just told me?"

Confused, I looked over to Kazehana in silence. Then I nodded, "A friend from a few years ago told me a little about Sekirei. I didn't get what I said directly from her, but I take the brunt of it from her. She told me that her sister and brother Sekirei had to learn to love. In a way, I think it was what she told me the day before she disappeared that made me see things the way I do." I shrugged a single shoulder, "Why'd you ask, Kazehana-san?"

The scantily-clad Sekirei simply looked at me, her dark eyes heavy for a moment. "It just…" She paused. "It reminded me of someone I knew." We were silent for a moment, just basking in the sun. After a few seconds, Kazehana perked up, "Say, Ashikabi-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you come up here in the first place?"

I paused, then started laughing. Shaking my head, I jerked my thumb into the distance, towards the balloon. "I told a girl I'd get her balloon back for her."

Kazehana didn't laugh; instead she studied me in silence. "I don't know if that's sweet or stupid."

I laughed again, making sure not to fall off the I-beam. "I've been called both. My actions sometimes blur the boundary between them." I then shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a sucker for the puppy dog eyes."

That was when she cracked a smile. "I guess it got away from you. Since you risked your life just to see a girl smile, and had a pleasant chat with me, I'll help you out a bit." Lifting a hand, she simply looked in the direction of the balloon. I felt a shift in the air, then a breeze flew in my direction.

That's when I realized it; the wind was pushing the balloon back towards the constructions. Reaching forward, I swiped at the string and caught it, pulling it to my side. Looking over to Kazehana, I saw that she had vanished from her perch. "Well, thank you." I glanced over the edge and saw the cherry picker was only a few feet below me. At the same time, I saw nearly the entirety of the construction concentrated in a large group, all looking up to me.

I lifted the balloon and waved it; afterwards, I slowly slipped my foot off the edge of the I-beam and dropped to the cherry picker. Pressing a button, I relaxed as the cherry picker descended slowly.

When it reached the ground, I jumped over the railing and was greeted by the applause of my coworkers, along with a collection of various other pedestrians. Perplexed, I blinked a few times. "Um, guys, all I did was grab a balloon. It's not like I saved the city or something."

Motou-kun laughed heartily, "It's not what you did, Takeshi-kun, its how you did it. You climbed an entire building made of nothing but girders and managed to get down alive. Not just anyone can do that, you know." He slapped me on the back.

I rolled my eyes and looked around, finding the little girl's whose balloon I had recovered. Walking over to her, I crouched down and said, "I got it." Grinning, I gently took her hand and tied the string around her wrist. "Don't go losing it again this time around; I may not be around next time to get it for you."

She smiled from ear to ear, "Thank you, onii-chan!"

With that, the mother and daughter left. I turned to the group and whistled loudly. "Okay! It's time to clear out, people! We've got a job to do."

With a collection of half-hearted complaints and sighs of frustrations, everyone dispersed to their workstations and resumed their duties. I simply took my place on the grounded I-beam. Sitting back, I felt the pang of hunger gnaw at the edges of my stomach. I guess free-climbing a building builds up an appetite. Who knew?

I could ignore it for a little while, but when lunch break had started, it struck full force. To rub it in, the guys all sat around me and ate their lunches. "You know, you guys are all a bunch of assholes, right?" I said, good-naturedly.

Aizawa-kun laughed, "You deserve it; you know that. You showed us all up, everyone is going to talk to how you went that far to help out those two." He took a bite out of one of his sandwiches. "Plus, none of us could do _that_."

I snorted, feeling smug. "Damn right, you couldn't."

"Takeshi-sama!"

I jumped up, turning around quickly. Yomi suddenly stepped into the entrance to the construction site. She leaned against the wall and expelled a breath. Upon seeing me, she lifted her hand and waved lightly. "Yomi, what are you doing here?" Though, I asked that, I actually felt relieved to see her.

She shrugged, looking slightly bashful. "I wanted to see you, Takeshi-sama. Also, I'm sorry for blowing up like I did when you called."

I sighed and walked up to her. Standing a few inches from her, I placed my hand on her arm. "It's alright. If anything, I'd say it was my fault for calling out of the blue. So don't beat yourself up, okay?"

Yomi's face lit up with a smile, then she quickly pulled me into a tight embrace. "You're so kind, Takeshi-sama!" Squeezing even tighter, she caused the air in my lungs to be expelled in a sudden exhale.

I coughed lightly; my next words were strained. "Yomi…I can't breathe…" She gasped and nearly released me; before she could, though, I wrapped my own arms around her and squeezed tightly, lifting her off the ground. Surprised, Yomi started laughing lightly. Placing her down, I stepped back and released a breath. "What have you done all day?"

"Nothing much, but Toyotama can be extremely bossy." She folded her arms, pouting lightly. "I wanted to call you and ask how your day was going."

I laughed lightly, but it faltered as I scratched the back of my head nervously. I was perversely glad that Yomi didn't call me back. The time she wanted to call was most likely during my climb.

"That's because he was at work, Yomi. Plus, he only said to call in case of an emergency." I turned around and saw Toyotama sitting on top of the wall that surrounded the construction site. She held a bag in her right hand; it was hanging over the edge in front of her. Dropping to the ground, she walked over to me and held out the bag. "We didn't have an idea what you wanted, so we ended up making enough for three people." Shrugging a single shoulder, she continued, "We figured it would be okay if the three of us ate together during your lunch break. It is okay, right?" Toyotama looked away from me lightly, but there was a very slight, very well hidden blush.

I grinned as my stomach growled audibly, obviously recognizing the food in front of me and screaming at me to take it. "I don't think it would hurt." In the next few moments that passed the three of us sat down and ate; while they started, I made a few introductions, brushed aside any comments about their outfits. Yomi loved the attention; Toyotama simply ignored them. After lunch break was over, the boss gave me permission to leave early.

"Are you sure? I don't need to leave yet."

He waved me off. "You've done more than what was asked of you, Hitomi-kun. Just go on, I can tell your girls are lost without you." He patted me on the back heavily.

I rolled my eyes, "Sure." I turned and waved goodbye, "See you next work day." Walking to Yomi and Toyotama, I said, "C'mon, let's get going."

Yomi smiled and hopped into step next to me. "Okay, Takeshi-sama!"

Toyotama snorted at Yomi's overzealousness. "I just want to get back home and rest. Putting up with your energy is taxing on its own."

Yomi glared over at her fellow Sekirei. "Don't lie, Toyotama, you were just as lonely as me. You wanted Takeshi-sama to come back too."

I released a breath and lifted my hands calmingly. "Hey, hey, no arguing. Let's just get home, I'm exhausted." After we left the site, I wondered about their lack of weapons. "Hey, where are your staff and scythe? I don't think it's a good idea to leave home without them."

"They're right here." Toyotama said lightly, walking into an alley and right back out, carrying her staff and Yomi's scythe. "I decided it'd be better to not have to explain too much to your coworkers."

I grinned, "Alright, you're a genius, Toyotama."

Getting back inside, I removed my shoes and headed upstairs as I shedded my uniform. As I went inside the bathroom, I said, "Hey, Toyotama, can you search through my closet and pull out one of my button up shirts? That'll be Yomi's pajamas until I can get some proper sleep wear for the both of you."

"Okay." Was Toyotama's very succinct reply.

I fully removed my uniform and tossed it into the laundry pile. Grabbing a pair of shorts, I pulled them on and left the bathroom….

Only to walk right in on my Sekirei mid-change. Yomi was in the middle of buttoning the shirt, but her bare chest was out in the open for me to see perfectly unobstructed. Toyotama had just pulled on the shorts I'd lent her, but she had not yet put the shirt on.

"Again." I muttered to myself. "It happens again, only in reverse."

Yomi pulled the shirt closed and blushed heavily. "Master saw me." She bit her lip and looked to me with heavy eyes. "Be gentle, it'll be my first time."

Toyotama arched an eyebrow and grabbed the band of her shorts and pulled them out, snapping them back to her waist. "My, you do move fast, Takeshi-kun."

I pushed a hand through my hair, sighing heavily. "Will the both of you please put some clothes on!" I said quickly; my face was hot, and I knew it was red. "There will be no funny business after we just met, go it?"

"Oh?" Toyotama said heavily. "So, you're going to wait until we've known one another longer, then there'll be 'funny business'?"

I sighed, nodding. "Yes, that's what I'm saying Toyotama. After we get to know each other then we'll- Wait, wait, wait, what the hell are you making me say?" I looked up to her incredulously. I saw that she still wasn't wearing a shirt. I quickly looked away, out of respect. "This isn't an exhibition! Put some clothes on!"

She released a breath, "Fine."

"You too, Yomi." I said, knowing full well that she'd still have the shirt wide open.

Yomi exhaled, sounding disappointed.

After a few moments, I looked up and saw that they were covered. "Okay, are the futons set?" I looked to the floor and saw that they were. So that explains why they were half naked when I walked out, Toyotama and Yomi set them up first. "Alright, let's just get to bed."

When we all situated ourselves, I was in the middle with Toyotama on my right, facing away from me; Yomi was on my left, facing towards me. Flipping the lights off, I tried to fall asleep. Once again, the emphasis was on 'tried'.


	4. The Veil

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A?N:**_Well, here's the next installment. I just finished typing Chapter six, so I figured now would be a good time to post Chapter four. Once again, I'd like to thank the people who put my story on your alert list, it really keeps me motivated, thanks._

_As for the reviewers, I'd like to extend my thanks. As for the concerns, you don't have to worry about Takeshi being too perfect, this is only the beginning, his flaws will begin to show themselves over time. As for right now, I'm still in the developmental phase for the story; things are still building up momentum, so all I ask is that you give me a little time. Things will pick up._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Four

The Veil

I woke up first, something I'm sure that would happen a lot from now on, but that's not that's the extraordinary thing. The extraordinary thing is the mass of limbs that is resting in my bedroom, with me in the very center. I lied on my back, staring at the ceiling. Breathing steadily, I tried to unobtrusively examine the position that I was in right now. Toyotama had her arms wrapped around my arm and contained in her cleavage, her legs were firmly locked around one of mine; her face was also inches from my own.

Yomi, on the other hand, had somehow managed a minor monopoly over me. Her arms were wrapped around my neck with her face nuzzling into mine, and her legs wrapped tightly around my waist. Apparently, a few of the buttons of her shirt had been undone during her sleep and gave me a great view of her cleavage.

I was one or two Sekirei away from complete and total suffocation.

That wasn't the strangest thing either; apparently I'm extremely cuddly in my sleep because my arm was firmly wrapped around Yomi. Either that or she took advantage of my sleeping form.

Once again, I was in a disadvantageous position to check when I had woken up. Slowly releasing a breath, I thought about what I needed to do today; nothing particular came to mind, except that today was the day that the results of the entrance exams for Shinto Teito were posted.

I also had the day off today, so today could be a day where I spend time with the girls, but _what _to do was something I had to figure out. Well, the first thing I really had to figure out was how to slip free from the hands of my beautiful captors so that I could get to the bathroom.

Yawning, I stretched within the small, but strong hold they had on me. That's when it hit me; everything suddenly turned a bright shade of white. I could see her, casually jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her brown hair with a side ponytail waving in the wind. She wore a pair of low-riding capris and a pink, long-sleeved shirt with a yellow ten on the back and a star on the front.

All of a sudden, she stopped at the edge of a building. She slowly turned to face me, "_Ashikabi…?_"

Everything suddenly came flooding back, I was sitting up, my breathing slightly sped up and heart beating quickly. Yomi was at my side in second; Toyotama not that far behind.

"What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Yomi asked while keeping a calming hand on my arm.

"Are you okay?" Toyotama asked the less specific and easiest of the questions. I immediately mentally thanked her, giving her a subtle look equating to show that I was grateful.

I nodded, already calming down. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" I rubbed an eye, trying to fully wake myself up. "I think I saw something. A Sekirei, I think."

"Of course you did; you live with two of them now." Toyotama said with a small smile.

I rolled my eyes and shake my head. "No, seriously. I think I had some sort of vision about another Sekirei." I paused, thinking for a moment. "Can a Sekirei react to an Ashikabi even if they haven't met?"

Toyotama placed a finger to her lip in thought. "I think it's a possibility. If the Ashikabi's DNA is strong enough, or if he's winged enough Sekirei, then he can cause another to react through a psychic connection of sorts."

Yomi nodded, "I think that could work." She grinned and cuddled against me. "My Ashikabi is so strong, he can make Sekirei he hasn't even met react." She wrapped her arms around my neck in a tight embrace.

I wrapped an arm around to return it, but I was beginning to feel like I was going to burst. "Uh, Yomi?"

"Yeah?" She said with a smile.

"I need to go to the restroom, could you let go of me, please?"

Yomi obliged and I immediately scrambled to my feet, racing to the restroom; Toyotama was laughing lightly at the entire spectacle.

* * *

><p>"Well, crap, I guess I didn't get in." I stood in front of the boards that had the numbers of the examinees who managed to successfully get into Shinto Teito. Although I failed, I didn't really feel bad about. Truthfully, I wasn't really motivated to get in anyway.<p>

"I'm sorry that you didn't get in, Takeshi-sama." Yomi said to me, sincerity dripping from her lips.

Toyotama crossed her arms, "You don't seem tore up about it, Takeshi-kun."

I shrugged, "Eh, I'm not worried. I already have a job, plus I'm promised a job at MBI when I get a little older. I'll have to get in eventually, but it's not the top of my list right now." Turning away from the board, I tried not to think about my failure. I may not have put my best effort into the exam, but the failure still pisses me off. Still, I didn't try, so it's my loss.

"Have you seen the Sekirei from your vision, yet?" Yomi inquired as we left the campus. The people around us were celebrating without any regard to those who didn't pass.

I shook my head, "I'm looking, but I haven't seen her anywhere; although, from what I remember she was running across the rooftops. If we want to find her, then we'll have to start there."

Toyotama snorted, "There are a lot of those, Takeshi-kun."

I smirked, "Gee, thanks for the helpful advice, Toyotama. I'll be sure to take it to heart." I rolled my eyes as we took our time walking through the city. Though I was moving slowly and flanked by my Sekirei, I was careful to keep my eyes peeled. My glasses were the ones with the transition lenses, so the slow, precise movements my eyes made as they searched for that Sekirei were well hidden.

After a few moments, Yomi broke into my thoughts. "Um, Takeshi-sama, I think it would be a good idea for one of us to get higher and get a better vantage point of our surroundings."

I considered that; truthfully, I had already thought about doing that, but I didn't want to separate us. Even though the game was just starting, there could still be a chance we could be attacked by enemy Sekirei. If I was going to let them do that, then I'd want the both of them to go and keep each other safe. Of course, neither of them would like that, but it was better than nothing.

"Okay, we can do that, but on one condition."

Yomi smiled happily, no doubt glad that I was using her suggestion. "What is it?"

"The both of you go together. With the both of you scouring the rooftops and me on the ground, we can cover more…well, ground." I shrugged, awaiting the inevitable complaints.

Toyotama released a breath, "You can take care of yourself. I may not like it, but you are our Ashikabi. I trust you not to do anything stupid." She shifted her weight to one of her legs and waited for my say.

Yomi hesitated for a moment, looked to Toyotama. Releasing a breath, she allowed her shoulders to fall. "Okay, just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

I smiled lightly at the both of them. "I'll be careful and smart. I appreciate it, but you don't have to worry about me." I approached Yomi and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'll be fine." Going to Toyotama, I placed a hand on her arm and kissed her on the cheek as well. "Keep an eye on Yomi for me, she's acting like she'll never see me again."

She smirked, "Don't you worry, I will." The staff Sekirei then leapt onto the rooftop.

I turned to Yomi and saw that she was in a light stupor. Clearing my throat, I caught her attention. She looked over to me with her face alight with a deep blush. "Toyotama's waiting on you."

Yomi nodded quickly, "I'll get right on it." Jumping after my first Sekirei, she hastily followed Toyotama.

Have you ever had something hit you after the time when it would be best utilized? I mean, you've felt hindsight, right? When you make a mistake, or a miscalculation, and you instantly realize it seconds after you've done it. Well, that's what I felt the instant I saw Yomi disappear over that roof. I didn't make a mistake per se, it's just that my gut smacked me in the face and struck itself with an electrified baseball bat.

Fear. Genuine rose inside my belly and threatened to overcharge my heart. My body turned on a dime and shot down the street, running as if Death itself was right at my heels. I dodged past each and every pedestrian, my speed not faltering an instant. Reflexes honed by ten years worth of hellish training were put to work in the most unlikely, yet most calming of exercises.

Or it would be calming if my heart wasn't racing with the fear that a Sekirei that was reacting to me was in trouble right now. What scared me now was not the threat of getting hit by a stray car as I took a detour across a semi-busy street, but knowing that I might let someone get hurt; someone that was reacting to me; someone who chose me to be their Ashikabi; someone who needed help, _my_ help. She needed me, and I was going to give it to her; I just feel sorry for whoever is going to get in my way.

In the midst of my frantic running, I could see people in the distance, racing from rooftop to rooftop. I clicked my tongue and pushed even more, I had a sinking feeling that those were the culprits.

In my periphery, I could see my girls keeping pace as they ran across the rooftops. Catching their attention, I pointed them towards the people in the distance. Toyotama nodded and raced ahead, followed quickly by Yomi.

My legs were burning lightly from the strain, but I couldn't stop. Upon reaching the train station, my instincts screamed for me stop. When I didn't, something sailed through the air and crashed into my face; the momentum my legs carried caused them to fly forward as I crashed to the pavement. My elbows scraped against the ground and I was very glad that I was wearing a jacket. At that, I heard a very loud tear.

Unable to move for a moment, I breathed deeply to try and regain myself. I pushed myself up to a sitting position and inspected what threw me off balance; it was a grocery bag. "What the hell? Who throws a grocery bag?" Groaning, I got to a standing position and inspected the bag.

As I did, Toyotama landed right next to me. "Are you alright?" She sounded vaguely like she was about to laugh. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw her holding back a smile.

I shook my head, "Nice to know my wipeout entertained you." I held up the grocery bag. "This bag came flying out of nowhere and imitated a face hugger. I thought I was going to have an alien burst out of my chest." I looked to her and saw that she was alone. "By the way, where's Yomi?"

"She's still following the group. I broke off from her to get you; you're not going to be able to keep up if you're still on the ground." Toyotama stepped up to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. "Hold on to me. I'll get us caught up to Yomi in no time." She crouched and readied her jump.

"Wait a moment." I broke away from her and picked up a pair of rocks. Sliding them into a pocket within my jacket, I went back to Toyotama and grabbed her arm, placing it back around my waist. "Ready."

She simply looked at me, "What are you, a rock collector?"

I shook my head, "No, I just like to be prepared."

Rolling her eyes, Toyotama leapt into the air and on top of the rooftop.

I broke away from her and said, "You go on ahead, I'll keep up on my own."

Giving me a doubtful gaze, she said, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just go ahead, I don't want to lose them." Toyotama nodded to me and raced ahead, leaving me in the dust. I quickly put my arm through the handles on the bag and broke off in another sprint towards the retreating group. As soon as I did, though, I felt a burn in my legs. I was running out of stamina and fast. I didn't let a little thing like impending exhaustion stop me, though, because I had a job to do. Pushing myself even more, I couldn't help but notice a very obvious obstacle getting closer and closer. The edge of the building.

A single curse slipped from my lips as I reached it. Jumping forward, I managed to reach the next building. Getting back to a run, I leapt to the next rooftop. Things were going smoothly, I wasn't losing too much momentum between jumps, but I was still losing ground on the Sekirei. Clicking my tongue, I jumped to the next rooftop only to see that I jumped way too early.

My chest slammed onto the edge of the rooftop as I began sliding off. I quickly pulled the bag off of my shoulder and threw it on the roof. I tried to pull myself up, but I couldn't get any handholds. Continually slipping, I couldn't help but look down. It was a really far drop and people hadn't really noticed me, yet. People have a bad habit of looking up at the worst times.

As I looked down, I felt a pair of hands grab my arms and haul me onto the roof with very little effort.

"What was that about 'being careful'?" Toyotama smirked as she released me.

"Takeshi-sama, I was so worried!" She pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oy! Yomi, your scythe! Your scythe! It's dangerously close to a very special place!" Her scythe had fallen and impacted the ground a few inches from my crotch. I returned her hug, but mostly out of fear that the scythe would inadvertently move a few inches closer.

Yomi quickly pulled her scythe away and I exhaled thankfully. "I'm sorry." She pouted lightly.

I stood and placed a calming hand on her shoulder, "It wasn't you fault, so it's okay." I turned to face the direction of where the Sekireis were running. "Anyway, I'm tired of running. Let's get her out of there."

Toyotama crossed her arms, "How are we going to do it?"

"I've got a plan." I said with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Yomi and I raced directly after them, her arm secured tightly around my waist. We were gaining on them too; I was instantly grateful for her being there. I was running on fumes.<p>

Off to the far right, I saw Toyotama closing in on the side.

"Yomi, now." She nodded and released me. I got my feet under me and began running as fast as they could carry me. Reaching into my jacket's pocket, I pulled out one of the rocks and hefted it in my hand. Pulling back my hand, I let the rock fly, arcing it downwards. It skipped across the ground and rolled under one of the Sekirei's feet.

The pair of Sekirei in pursuit didn't seem to notice us. The one who I had thrown the rock at wore a one-piece leotard with a pair of vertical black stripes framing a yellow stripe. In her hand, she held a reddish whip. Her pigtails flapped in the wind as she chased the innocent Sekirei.

Her companion was a sight to behold, that's for sure. She was a fetishist's dream, what with her small grey kimono held together by a set of chains that I could clearly hear in the wind.

The pig-tailed Sekirei slammed her foot on the rock and slipped in a very amusing manner, as her foot slid forward to build her momentum, she flipped forwards and fell flat on her back. She cried out in surprise more than anything else and I saw her recover almost immediately. Of course, that was the moment when she noticed my pursuit.

I sprinted passed her, a smug smirk on my face. The other Sekirei turned and caught my eye. I'm not going to lie; any red-blooded male would be adversely affected by the extremely revealing kimono the woman wore. The only thing holding it together were a set of chains that ran down her cleavage, around her neck and keeping the kimono itself closed.

I stumbled lightly in my steps, nearly slipping, but managed to right myself. Ignoring both the pig-tailed Sekirei and the 'kimono' Sekirei, I faced forward, trying to see the Sekirei whom I had seen in my vision. She slowly turned and met my eyes for a very bare moment. In those barest of second, I saw the recognition in her dark brown eyes; first recognition, then slight happiness, finally ending in fear as she looked over my shoulder.

Before I could turn my head, I felt something wrap around my ankle and tug it out from under me. I cursed under my breath as I saw the concrete come flying closer and closer to my face. Throwing my hands forward, I slammed them onto the ground and pushed upward at the same time I pulled my feet into the air. Feeling the tug on my ankle, I threw the pig-tailed my best withering glare. Of course, that was when I saw Yomi come flying in; slashing through the whip, she freed me and I completed my flip.

Getting back on my feet, I was just in time to see a sheet of ice appear on the ground in front of me. My momentum carried me forward before I could do anything to stop or turn. Sliding uncontrollably, I waved my arms like a raving lunatic trying to regain my balance.

Taking her turn to play hero, Toyotama chose that time to appear directly behind the second Sekirei. Swinging her staff faster than my eye could see, she crashed it into the side of the Sekirei's head. Or it seemed like it, because she had thrown her arm up just in time, a thin layer of ice between it and Toyotama's strike.

Continuing to slide uncontrollably, I faced forward and saw the ponytailed Sekirei from my vision. She seemed like she was completely entranced, as she still did not move as I got closer and closer. Then just like that, I collided into her. The both of us fell off of the roof as I heard Yomi and Toyotama call out my name.

Then, just like that, strips of cloth were shot about, wrapping around trees and protrusions of the building. She stood atop one of those strips, wearing nothing but a skirt, a set of cloth covering her breasts, a pair of thigh high boots, and a pair of gloves reaching up to her elbow. I was lying on an elongated piece of cloth, feeling perfectly content to do so, as long as I could look into her eyes. "Are you really him?" She asked hesitantly, "Are you really my Ashikabi?"

I shrugged lightly, "I don't know, probably, but I saw you in a vision. After that, I just had to find you; in a way, I felt like I had to meet you." I paused, slowly reaching up to her. "Then, I guess I felt your fear, so I felt like I had to help you." I hesitantly placed my hand on her cheek.

The cloth Sekirei froze lightly as I touched her, but slowly melted under my hand, placing her own on top of mine. "What is your name, Ashikabi-kun?"

"Takeshi Hitomi. Yours?"

"Uzume, Sekirei Number 10." She paused, lightly biting her lip. "I'm yours if you want. I'll be your Sekirei, if you'll have me."

I dragged my thumb softly across her lower lip. "Well, Uzume, I can be a reckless and wild when I set my mind on a course of action; as you just witnessed. The real question is if you'll be the one to have me."

Uzume nodded as our eyes remained locked. "You're the one who saved me. Of course I'll have you…" She leaned down to me and slowly closed her eyes. In the span of a second, our lips met and her upper back, where the Sekirei symbol laid, erupted into light.

The kiss lasted only for a few second, but it felt like she had just stolen my breath. As I watched her, I noticed that she had a similar expression to the one I had on my face. I slowly pulled my hand away, and pushed myself into a sitting position. That's when I noticed a red stain on her cheek. "You're bleeding. Did they get you?"

Uzume blinked, obviously surprised at my declaration. Reaching up, she touched her cheek and shook her head. "They didn't catch me…" She looked down, and then quickly took my hand. "Your hand!" She held it up and showed it to me, the skin was scraped liberally with blood slowly dripping out the corners of the wounds itself.

I shook my head, "It's nothing right now. Next thing I want to do is check up on the others." I pushed myself up into a sitting position and wrapped an arm around Uzume's waist. "Whenever you're ready."

She nodded and released the majority of her cloth anchors and stepped onto the one I was previously lying on; jumping into the air, she landed back onto the roof only for the two of us to see Yomi and Toyotama relatively unharmed; although, Toyotama's hair was lightly sprinkled with icicles at the ends. It was quite humorous, to say the least.

"Are the both of you okay?" I asked lightly.

Toyotama nodded, "I'm fine; a little chilled, but fine nonetheless." She met my eyes for a few moments before breaking contact to keep an eye out for more enemy Sekirei.

Yomi grimaced, placing a hand on her side. "I'm okay. Nothing too bad." She then grimaced again, trying to look away before I could catch it.

"Don't lie to me, Yomi." I removed my arm from Uzume's waist and approached my scythe-wielding Sekirei. She gave me a surprised look as I got closer. "A little, white lie is okay now and again, but you will never lie to me about how you're doing. If there's anything wrong, I want to know as soon as possible so I can get you the help you need. Understand?"

Yomi bit her lip, but nodded, "I'm sorry, Takeshi-sama."

"You don't need to apologize, just let me know if you're hurt." I turned lightly, to look to Toyotama and Uzume, "That goes for the both of you." They nodded, assuring me. Turning back to Yomi, I said, "Where does it hurt, Yomi?" She gestured to a spot on her side; I reached forward and pressed my hand onto the spot. She lightly whimpered at the contact. "It's a bruise; you should be fine after a few hours." I stood and flinched as my hand flexed instinctively.

"What's wrong?" Yomi asked me; it seemed like the tables have turned.

I released a breath and held up my hands. Both were scraped pretty bad; truthfully, this is nothing compare to the injuries I've already had, but I don't think saying that would help. "I scraped up my hands after you cut my ankle free from the whip."

Yomi grabbed my hand, looking at the scrape like it was the biggest, ugliest gash she has ever seen. "We need to get your hands cleaned up!"

I arched my eyebrow, and was about to say something, but Toyotama cut me off.

"Yomi, his hands are fine. We need to get out of here before more Sekirei come. Let's head back to Takeshi-kun's home." She looked over to Uzume and said, "You should come with us too. After all, you are Takeshi-kun's newest Sekirei."

"Actually, my home is few blocks away. You can stay there for a while if you feel you need to." Uzume looked to me and said, "My landlady can also help with fixing up your hands."

I nodded, "That'll work. Lead the way, Uzume." She nodded with a light smile and turned to jump, but I cleared. "Uh, I almost forgot." I looked over to Toyotama and said, "A few buildings back, there is a plastic bag sitting on the center of the roof. Can you get that for me?"

She smiled lightly, and with a nod, she took off in the direction I pointed.

Uzume arched an eyebrow, "You had my bag, bro? When did you have it?"

"Uh…" I released a breath. "It was kind of difficult to miss, considering it flew through the air and smacked me across the face." I smiled and shook my head.

Uzume smiled regretfully, "Uh, yeah, that was kinda my fault. I didn't want to fight so I threw it on a reflex. My bad." She grinned and hummed lightly.

Within a few moments, Toyotama came back to us, a plastic bag full of groceries in her hand. "Everything's a bit ruined, but still edible. I think." She said with a smirk.

"Okay, I guess we can go now. Lead the way." I said once again to Uzume. She nodded, turned and jumped towards the next building. Toyotama leapt right after, following her closely.

I took my place on Yomi's immediate right and wrapped an arm around her waist. She blushed profusely at this; after that, I grabbed her arm and pulled it around my waist. Yomi held her scythe and leapt after Toyotama. After a few minutes of jumping, I saw Uzume jump to the ground. When we all hit the ground, Uzume led us to her home.

When we resumed on the flat ground, I felt an immense sense of relief when my feet made contact with the flat earth. The minute my feet touched the ground, I released a breath I didn't know I had. "Okay, if I ever mention a plan like that again, I want the both of you to slap me in the back of the head and call me an idiot. I can't even count the number of times I nearly fell on one hand."

Toyotama chuckled, "With all due respect, Takeshi-kun, that _was_ and idiotic plan. At least it worked." She shrugged lightly.

Pouting when I removed my arm from her waist, Yomi spoke, "I thought your plan was a good one, Takeshi-sama." I gave her a sideways smirk. Then she smiled sheepishly. "It was kinda stupid."

"Thank you, Yomi. I appreciate it, but don't flatter me too much." I shrugged a single, "I'm just not used to it." As he walked, I considered putting my hands in my pockets, but the thought of the torn flesh rubbing against the inside of my jean pockets gave me second thoughts. "Say, Uzume, where do you live?"

"I live in a boarding house run by a very scary lady." She said with a playful smile. "Truthfully, she's a really nice person, but if you break her rules then…" She shuddered, "Just don't break her rules."

I snorted, "She can't be that scary. I mean, I know scary; my training was literally one life-threatening situation after another. When Karasuba takes something seriously, you better be prepared or you're not gonna survive." Shaking my head, I reminisced about a few instances where I considered running away and changing into a pair of brown pants until I could get back home.

Uzume stuttered in her steps. Slowly turning, she gave me a look reserved for mental patients and people who say the dumbest shit. I wasn't sure which category I fell under at the moment. "Wait, you were trained by _the_ Karasuba, the Black Sekirei? Hold up, the real question is that she actually agreed to train you? Last time I heard, she doesn't really like humans."

I paused, thinking for a moment. "Truthfully, I don't really know why she decided to train me. Karasuba has always said that there's something different about me. That I'm what a human should be." I shrugged, not really understand what she meant. "Either way, she was the one who wanted to train me."

"I can see it." Toyotama said matter-of-factly. "I mean, take what you did earlier; not many people could've raced after a trio of Sekirei and stopped them the way you did."

Placing a hand on her head, Uzume shook it lightly, "You know, I'm not really surprised. Now that I look back, you actually looked like you knew what you were doing. For future reference," she looked up to me pleadingly, "please, don't do that again."

I smiled lightly, "I'd like to say that I wouldn't, but I try to do whatever's necessary to make sure I do what's right." Shrugging a shoulder, I met her eyes. "It's who I am; I can't change that. I like to help when I feel I'm needed." Grinning, I said, "Maybe you can watch my back next time, make sure I don't anything _too_ stupid."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, too stupid." Uzume returned my smile. Turning, she beckoned us to follow, "C'mon, we're almost there." Resuming out small trek, we soon came upon the boarding house Uzume had mentioned. 'Maison Izumo' was what it read on the sign at the opening to the yard and front door. It was a two-story, Japanese style home. It seemed rather quaint and peaceful, but at the same time it felt like it was protected; protected by something that sent chills up my spine as I looked upon Maison Izumo.

As we approached, the front door opened and a woman with long, purple hair stood in the doorway. She wore a white haori with a purple hakama. "You're late, Uzume." When the woman noticed that she was no longer in normal clothes, but clad in her cloth, she glanced towards the rest of us.

"Uh, hey, Miya, I can explain why I'm so late." Uzume chuckled lightly, scratching the back of her head.

I cleared my throat. Catching Miya's attention, it was slightly unnerving having her give me her undivided attention. Something in the back of my mind was screaming to get away. "I think it's better if I explain."

"My, who would you be?" She placed a hand onto her cheek.

"I'm Takeshi Hitomi." My hands started burning something fierce. It was sweat dripping into my cuts. Whoever this person was, she must be extremely dangerous. "Uzume was heading on her way back, when she was attacked by…" I paused, unsure of how to continue. I couldn't just come out and say that she was attacked by other Sekirei. The Plan was a secret and I was no exception. If I let the secret out, I'd be punished just like any other.

Miya narrowed her eyes, "'Attacked', you say? I wonder who it was?"

The feeling I had when I first arrive became frantic. Putting an arm in front of Yomi, I gently pushed her back. She in turn gave me a strange look. Toyotama was in front of me, behind Uzume. If a fight would break out, I would need the both of them as far away as possible. I may enjoy a good fight, but I could easily tell that Miya was far beyond what I could even hope to accomplish. "It wasn't me, or my girls."

Uzume looked from me to Miya, gauging our reactions. Shaking her head, she said, "It wasn't them Miya. Other Sekirei found me and began chasing me; Takeshi, Toyotama and Yomi all came in out of nowhere and helped me."

Wait, did she just mention Sekirei in front of her? That's not good, now that she's my Sekirei, that means that I will be the- Hold on, if she told her, just like that, then…

"Wait, you're a Sekirei, Miya-san?" I asked warily.

She simply smiled, placing a hand on her cheek, "Whatever do you mean, Hitomi-kun?"

The cemented it. The feeling I got was similar to the one I got whenever I was around Karasuba when she was in one of her moods. Only…this was stronger, denser. It was like this for a while during my training, I'd only just gotten used to it. But, this… this was something else. Something on an entirely different level.

I shrugged a single shoulder, then said, "Nothing, I was just curious."

Uzume gave me a confused look, then turned to Miya. "Yeah, I was attacked by a pair of Sekirei. They were gaining on me, too, what with an ice-user freezing the ground as I ran. All of a sudden, one of them tripped up and Takeshi came running passed her. When he did that, he was immediately followed by his Sekirei."

Miya turned from Uzume and gave me another look, this time one of surprise rather than suspicion. "Quite the hero, aren't you?" Bowing lightly, she continued, "I apologize for suspecting you as the one who was trying to hurt my tenant. My name is Miya Asama and I am the owner of Maison Izumo."

I bowed in turn, "No apologize necessary, Asama-san. I just did what I felt I had to do."

Standing straight, she smiled, but it faltered. "I didn't notice it before, but your clothes are torn, Hitomi-kun. And…is that blood?" She asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I paused, looking my clothes over. The left pant leg was torn liberally at the knee; the thigh of the right one was also torn, revealing a small portion of my red boxers; the left sleeve of my jacket was ripped open at the elbow; the right sleeve was nearly torn completely off. "Well, damn, I did not notice that." I lifted my hands and showed her my palms. "And, yeah. It is blood."

Miya beckoned me to follow her. "Come on in; I can't have you walking around looking like that, can I? I'll fix up your hands and give you some of my husband's old clothes. You look like you could fit into them." When I hesitated, she said, "You helped one of my few tenants, Hitomi-kun. I want to return the favor; after all, since you're now her Ashikabi, I feel like it would be right to help you; in spite of the fact that she almost never pays rent." Miya gave the cloth Sekirei a slight glare.

Uzume grinned lightly and said to me, "Takeshi, follow Miya inside. I'll show the others around while I get some clothes to change into."

I nodded and waved my hand lightly, letting them know that I would be alright. Following Uzume into the boarding house, my first two Sekirei entered quickly. Approaching Miya, I saw that she was walking back inside. Following her, I pulled my shoes off and walked next to the stairs. Miya slid the door closed.

"Well, follow me; I'll get your hands fixed up in no time."

* * *

><p>A few moments later, I was sitting, alone in a small room, wearing a green sweat suit with a white down the sides. Releasing a breath, I pulled my glasses off and placed them on a stand to the side. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to stay fully alert. The adrenaline from earlier gave out during Miya's bandaging of my hands. I was exhausted, completely and utterly dreary; pushing a hand through my hair, I saw the outline of someone at the door. Getting to my feet, I watched as Miya opened the sliding door.<p>

Stifling a yawn, I bowed lightly and said, "Thank you, Asama-san, for bandaging my hands and lending me some clothes."

"Oh, it's quite alright. My husband never turned anyone away when they needed a place to stay. I'm sure he would've helped you." Miya laughed lightly, though it was slightly sorrowful.

Catching the subtle sadness in her voice, I stood fully and asked, "I hate to ask, but where is your husband, Asama-san?"

At that very moment, the tray on which Miya held her tea clattered to the ground. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she stared up to me. Slowly, her mouth opened, then closed. I could feel the trace of her eyes as she scanned my face. It was unnerving, to say the least, but I was too surprised at her sudden action to move.

"Hey, Miya, what happened?" Uzume stepped into view, at her landlady's side and turned towards me; as soon as she did, her eyes widened in surprise and recognition. "It can't be…" She whispered lightly.

Unable to comprehend what was going on, I spoke, "What is it?"

My voice seemed to have broken Miya's trance, because she blinked slowly and looked into my eyes. "It's nothing, Hitomi-kun." She said with a smile. Crouching down, she picked up the tray and overturned cups. "My, I seemed to have lost myself for a moment."

I walked over to Miya and lightly took the tray. "I've got this, Asama-san. You can continue dinner; I don't mind repaying the kindness you showed me."

Miya glanced up to me, hesitation in her eyes. "Well, thank you, Hitomi-kun." Standing, she gave me one last look before walking away.

During the entire time, Uzume was still staring at me; more specifically, it was a look of shock. "Uzume, are you okay?"

She snapped back into reality and replied. "Yeah, I'm fine…" She crouched down to help me clean up.

That made me wonder. Why did the two of them look so shocked when they saw me? It was such a perplexing conundrum, that I felt like I was lost for a moment while we picked everything up; after that, Uzume showed me where everything went. After walking into the dining room, where Yomi and Toyotama were sitting, I snapped back to reality when I heard Toyotama say something.

"What? Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention."

"I said, why do you look like you just woke up? Your hair is all over the place." Toyotama, in the seat at my immediate left, reached up and lightly pressed my hair down back to what I normally have it as. It was an affectionate gesture, one I would expect more from Yomi than her.

Shrugging, I said, "It just happened to get messed up." At that, my phone rang. Reaching into my pocket, I checked the caller ID. It was mother. "Excuse me, I need to get this." Getting to my feet, I walked out another set of doors, coming upon the back deck. Plopping down, I flipped open my phone and said, "Hey, mom. I was planning to call you."

"No, you weren't. You forgot."

I flinched, knowing full well that I had forgotten. "You could say that. So, how was your day, mom? A good one, I hope."

She snorted into the phone; my mother, Ms. Articulate. "I've been busy. Enough about me, I know the results of your entrance exam came out today. How did you do?"

She's screwing with me, I could tell by the tone of her voice. With her connections at MBI, she could figure out my results at least a month before I could. "I, uh, didn't do as well as I could have." That's an understatement.

"That's an understatement." What the fuck? Did she just read my mind over the phone! "You didn't even get close. I thought you wanted to get into Shinto Teito. This is the second time you've failed. You can do better than that, much better. I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother; I'm saying it because I've seen you do better in the past."

"I know."

"You don't have the motivation to pass, that's what it is. Luckily, I still remember our little deal from the first time you failed."

"Uh, what?" I'd completely forgotten. Until now, that is.

"You heard me. Since you failed, I'm cutting off your allowance." She said with finality.

I blinked, "Uh, mom, I have a job."

I could hear the smirk as she continued, "I know, Takeshi, but the apartment you're living in is outside of your budget. Don't you remember our deal last year? The one about allowing you to stay in that nice apartment if you passed the next entrance exam; well, since you failed, I'm going to cut you off until you can pass the next entrance exam."

I groaned and leaned forward; now that she mentioned it, I did remember the deal. In order for me to keep staying in that apartment, I had to pass the entrance exam. Considering the rent for it was _way_ out of my budget, my mother said that she would help out with the difference as long as I kept my job and passed the exam. I only did one of the two. "I just remembered… Damn."

"I need you to learn to take responsibility for your mistakes. The first thing you have to do is find a new place to live. Only this time, you're on your own to pay rent. Understand?" She sounded resolute.

"Yeah, mom. I got it." My voice was numb.

From my right, I heard someone make their way to my spot. Yomi plopped down next to me.

"Takeshi, I want you to succeed, but you need to learn to pay for your mistakes. I need to get back to work. Once you find a place to stay, tell me the address, okay?" Her voice softened near the end.

I nodded, "Okay. Bye." With that, we hung up.

"Are you okay, Takeshi-sama? You seem to be a little pale." Yomi asked, concerned.

I gulped, "Well, it seems like we don't have anywhere to live. I don't have the apartment anymore." I balanced my phone in one hand. "I'll ask Asama-san if you and Toyotama can stay here with Uzume while I look for a place to live."

Yomi was silent for a moment, chewing her lip. She seemed like she was thinking about something. After a few moments of silence, my second Sekirei spoke up, "Maybe we could live here." I paused, then slid my phone into my pocket. "I mean, when Uzume was showing us around, she said that there were a few empty rooms. Since Uzume already has her own room, we could all sleep in one room. You have your job at the construction site, so it would work out."

I froze, thinking of the possibilities. Uzume lived here already, so it wouldn't be difficult to get my Sekirei used to their new surroundings. The boarding house was large and roomy. It also had a nostalgic feel to it. A smile quirked at the edge of my mouth. "Yomi?"

She twitched at my call. "Um, yes?"

I turned towards her and grinned, "You're a freaking genius." I pulled her into a deep, thankful kiss. She was surprised at first, but melted into my arms. Pulling away, I jumped up and stumbled back into the dining room. Uzume, Toyotama and Miya were all looking towards me with surprised gazes. "Asama-san, are you taking in new tenants?"

Smiling lightly, Miya gave a light nod, "When my husband ran Maison Izumo, he never turned anyone away. So, yes I am. Why do you ask?"

"It's kind of a long story." I said while scratching my cheek.

Miya smiled lightly, "We can talk about the specifics after you rest; you look like you're going to fall over any minute now, Hitomi-kun."

I didn't realize it until right then, but I was exhausted. The adrenaline had fully pushed itself through my system and left me feeling like I was going to collapse. "Um, yeah, I think I might." I chuckled lightly.

"You can sleep in my room." Uzume said slowly, "I need to go back out anyway, there were actually some groceries I forgot to get." She stuck out her tongue and chuckled lightly.

I smiled appreciatively, "Thanks, I'll do that. Where is your room?"

"It's the second door on the left." Uzume replied matter-of-factly.

I nodded, but looked back over my shoulder. Yomi was in a minor stupor, completely frozen but with a light flush and small smile on her face. I called out to her, catching her attention. "If you need me, I'll be taking a nap in Uzume's room." She nodded and stood.

I slowly made my way up the stairs and stopped at the top. Glancing to the right, I couldn't help but notice something off about the wall there. Shaking my head, I muttered something about being too tired to fully comprehend the facts about a wall right now. Continuing my trek down the hall, I came upon the door to Uzume's room. I immediately walked inside and collapsed to the floor. Apparently, Uzume never put her futon away earlier today. Eh, I'm not complaining, it's comfortable as hell.

Needless to say, I was out within less than a minute.


	5. The Blade

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, I'm ready to put this one up. Truthfully, I still have nothing to say, aside from the fact that I've decided to put up another Sekirei story alongside this one. They're going to be pretty similar, but not too much so. I'm still in the process of writing the first chapter, but it'll be up in a few days. _

_On a side note, this chapter may be a bit different from the previous ones. Let's just say Takeshi's self control is reaching a breaking point._

_Regardless of that, I hope you enjoy this new installment of Ascension. Read/review/etc._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Five

The Blade

My eyes slowly cracked open; I'd finally woken up. He sun shone brightly through the window and blinded me as flipped onto my back. Recoiling away from the light and into the shade, I grimaced and silently cried out. _Note to self: when I move in, make sure to have at least one arm free to pull blanket over head in case of blinding light._

Pushing myself to a sitting position, I took a quick glance around my surroundings: Uzume's room. I fell asleep instantly due to exhaustion, but now that I was fully rested, I could now look around. Truthfully, it was just like any other room. The only thing that actually caught my eye as strange was the closed closet door. It was giving off a very strange, yet alluring aura; one of which that I could not ignore.

Giving the door to Uzume's room a wary look, I got to my feet and silently made my way towards the closet. Making exaggerated and unnecessary movements, I slowly and silently made it to the closet door. Grabbing the handle, I slid it open with care. As soon as it opened, I blinked slowly, confusion ever-present on my face. "What?" Inside the closet was a collection of cosplay costumes.

A French maid outfit, a mouse costume, a wagtail costume (_heh, heh, wagtail = Sekirei_), an outfit with large feathers sticking out the back, like a peacock's feathers, and apron. An apron? Why just an apro- Ooh. Now I get it. I grabbed the apron and lifted it, tilting my head to the side as I couldn't help but imagine the possibilities.

Suddenly, my imagination was assaulted by said possibilities…

* * *

><p>Yomi dressed in the previously mentioned French maid outfit, what with the abnormally short skirt, approaching me with a small blush on her cheeks. "Hello, Master. Welcome home." She said with a deep bow. After a moment of silence, she said, "Would you like dinner, a bath, or…" She paused, placing a finger on her thigh, dragging it upwards. "Me?"<p>

I froze, my eyebrow twitching from the intensity of the statement. Acting on its own, my body approached Yomi and wrapped a single arm around her waist. "I'd love to have all of the above. You get the bath bubbles ready and I'll get the whip cream." I gently placed my lips against Yomi's.

* * *

><p>Everything faded out. Fading back in, I saw Toyotama standing in front, dressed in nothing but an apron. Holding her staff to the side, she gave me a very heavy look. "Say, Master, what is it you wish to do to pass the time?" Pulling her staff close, she wrapped a single leg around it. Placing her hand on along the outer edge, she lightly dragged a finger down the edge of her staff. "If you don't have any ideas, then maybe I could help you decide…" Lightly wrapping her fingers around the staff, Toyotama slowly pulled her hand up and down.<p>

I lifted a hand and covered my nose. "Stop! You're killing me, here, Toyotama." I walked over to her and pulled off my glasses and slid them into a jacket pocket. Placing a hand on her bare hip, I slid my hand upwards, onto her back. My normally cold Sekirei melted into my arms. "I know exactly what to do."

* * *

><p>The sound of the door opening pulled me from my mental hallucinations. Uzume peeked into the room; a small grin grew on her face. "I take it that's what you're into?"<p>

I blinked, confused at her statement. Then I realized that I was still holding the apron. Dropping it, I said, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." The blush on my face didn't give me away at all. Nope. Not at all.

Uzume chuckled lightly, "Sure, sure." She stepped inside her room, dressed back in the clothes she wore earlier, before she changed into her battle attire. "Do you normally search through a girl's closet?"

I shrugged, "I'm out of practice. It's been a while since I've stayed over at a girl's place."

My third Sekirei arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She approached me and stopped when we were face to face, only inches from one another. "What were you thinking about?"

"What do you mean?"

Uzume smirked, "I saw that look on your face when I opened the door. That stupid smile on your face made me wonder what was going through that head of yours."

I couldn't hold back the blush forming on my cheeks. "That'll remain my little secret." I said with a wry grin.

Uzume narrowed her eyes lightly. Stepping away, she gave me a look that only be described as curious yet thrilled. "C'mon, I'm sure you're hungry. Miya made something for you." She beckoned me to follow as she headed out the door of her room.

I followed Uzume out of her room and down the steps, feeling the claws of hunger tearing at the edges of my stomach. Upon reaching the edge of the bottom step, I could smell it: pure, unadulterated heaven: food; the sustenance of life. That very instance was when I fully realized how hungry I really was. My mouth nearly watered when I reached the dining room.

I've never devoured anything like I did just then; trying my very hardest to not be too overzealous, I completely cleaned my plate. Sitting back, I relaxed in my seat. Looking over to Uzume, who sat off to the side, I asked, "Where are Toyotama and Yomi?"

She chuckled lightly, "They're in the courtyard. It seems like they discovered Miya's secret." I arched an eyebrow. Uzume only shrugged, "Go see for yourself." She stood and walked around the table, heading out the other door.

Getting up, I followed her out the door and saw a flash of steel whizzed through the courtyard. Yomi was slashing in earnest towards Miya, who was evading effortlessly, while at the same time deflecting a few attacks with her bokken. I arched an eyebrow, and asked, "Is Yomi pissed off at Asama-san? Cuz it seems like she's trying to kill her."

Uzume smiled, "Miya told her to attack like she wanted to defeat her. Yomi was hesitant at first, but Toyotama whispered something to her. After that, Yomi went a little crazy as she charged Miya."

"Hmm." I said in response, "I'm actually afraid as to what Toyotama told Yomi."

My third Sekirei laughed lightly, taking a seat on the edge.

"Oh, I didn't say much. Just that if she can manage to scratch Miya that I'll let her be the one to feed you during dinner." My first Sekirei said smugly from her seat.

I released a small laugh and took a seat between my two Sekirei. "What gives you the right to just decide that? Besides, I can feed myself just fine."

Toyotama gave me a semi-cold look, "You're saying that you don't want one of your beautiful Sekirei to feed you?" Her lip twitched lightly as she was obviously keeping back a smile.

Before I could respond, I heard Yomi cry out as she slashed with her scythe. Miya smacked it away effortlessly. "You're not putting enough power into your attacks!" Jumping back, Yomi spun her scythe and slashed into air, causing a wave of air itself to fly towards Miya. The landlady simply stopped it with a side-swipe of her bokken. "You're too slow, speed it up!" Spinning her scythe repeatedly, Yomi leapt into the air and sent a few air slashes towards Miya. She simply smiled as she stepped to the side, and casually blocked, or evaded, each of the air slashes. Descending to the ground, Yomi brought her scythe back and lunged forward; Miya instantly got under her guard and said, "You leave yourself open." She then rapped Yomi on the side.

Flinching, Yomi stepped back and massaged her stomach. "Ow." She grimaced as she looked over to me. "I lost." She whined lightly. Upon seeing me, she pouted, "I'm sorry, Takeshi-sama; I wasn't strong enough."

I shook my head, "It's alright, Yomi. You can't win every fight. The one thing I ask is that you understand why you lost; that way, you can fix your fighting style." I grinned, reassuring her, "There's nothing more satisfying than the look of shock on your opponent's face when they realize that you have the upper hand."

Miya gave me a contemplating look. "You sound like you have experience with that sort of thing."

I shrugged, "You could say that. All my life, I've always been the underdog when it came to my training."

"Training? You were trained to fight? Who taught you?"

That's where things got a little complicated.

"None other than the Black Sekirei, herself." I said matter-of-factly.

Miya paused, and then blinked. After a few seconds pause, Miya questioned, "I'm sorry, could you say that again?"

I cleared my throat, suddenly not feeling so hot. The look that Miya was giving me was enough to make a lesser man wonder where his brown pants were. "The Black Sekirei, Karasuba. You know, Sekirei Number 04?" I spoke slowly and carefully, debating on whether or not I should practice the old Nike offensive.

Nodding, Miya slightly dragged her hand across her bokken. "I know who that thing is. What I'm curious about is what made her decide to 'train' you?" Her voice was still unthreatening, but had an ominous air about it.

I looked over to my other Sekirei, gauging how they were doing. Toyotama was still very still, careful not to move an inch; her normally calm, cold expression was strained as she was carefully scanning the area; no doubt for various routes of escape. Yomi was still standing, clutching the shaft of her scythe tightly; her eyes were wide with fear and apprehension, they went from me to Miya. Uzume was imitating Toyotama in the sense of keeping very still, though she was staring at me with piteous eyes.

Thinking back, I recalled several of Karasuba's ruthless training sessions. They were dangerous, life-threatening and one would have to be extremely stupid to continue them. She continually told me that I could stop anytime I wanted; anytime I felt like giving in, she'd let me do so; anytime I wanted to walk away, she'd let me. Everything I endured; all the bruises I accumulated; the near-death experiences I survived; the fear that was always present was all by my choice. I wanted to be more than a human who stood back and let his Sekirei do all the work. I wanted to show Karasuba that not all humans were a waste of space; I wanted to confirm what she thought dwelled within me: that I was strong, that I could _show_ the Sekirei why _I'm_ the master. I wanted more than adoration from my Sekirei; I wanted respect.

An easy grin spread across my lips as I met Miya's eyes. "She said I had potential. I wanted to prove her right." The unwavering confidence that came with my words was enough to cause my three Sekirei to break from their stupor and glance towards me.

Even Miya was surprised at my words, as her eyes widened with minor shock. Then she smiled, relaxing slightly, "Did you?"

"She never told me. She didn't have to."

Miya relaxed her grip on her bokken. Placing a hand on her cheek, she laughed lightly, "It seems like you've grown attached to Number 04, haven't you?"

I scratched the back of my head, "Well, yeah. She's helped me better myself. I've become who I am thanks to her." Although, her sadism never did rub off on me, thankfully.

Miya paused, "I guess even she can do a little good." I could hear the faintest hints of a begrudging emotion. I wonder what happened in the past between Miya and Karasuba. Shaking her head, she continued, "Ah, I need to do laundry. Hitomi-kun, after I finish that we can talk about how you're going to contribute to Maison Izumo as a tenant."

I smiled lightly, "I'll look forward to it."

* * *

><p>Moments later…<p>

"I need to get my stuff from my apartment. I don't own a lot of things, so I could have gone on my own. All of you didn't have to follow me." I said with mock annoyance, not really displeased with the company of my Sekirei.

"Ah, but you can get more work done with more people." Uzume said happily, walking at my side.

"Yeah, if we're all there to help then we can all go out and have some fun." Yomi called out from my opposite side.

I heard Toyotama snort from her place behind me, "Or everyone gets in each other's way and we're there for hours."

I chuckled and shook my head, "All of you are crazy." I said with a smile. As we made our way back to my apartment, I couldn't help but notice the looks I was getting from my fellow pedestrians. It's kind of understandable, I mean, it's not everyday that I have a girl on each arm and one tailing close by holding onto the back of my jacket. Let me explain: Yomi was walking on my right side, holding my arm tightly against her chest. Uzume was casually holding my hand with a beaming smile on her face. Toyotama was holding onto the back of my jacket. Barring the people with many Sekirei, you just don't see three extremely attractive girls all hanging onto a single guy. Call me a smug bastard, but I was enjoying every minute of it.

Upon turning the corner on the street to my apartment, I couldn't help but notice a familiar face. Yukari, my younger sister, was heading up the steps to knock on the door.

"Takeshi-sama, who is that girl walking up to your door?" Yomi asked cautiously.

"That's my imouto." I whistled loudly, catching her attention.

Yukari Sahashi, my imouto, is a very…interesting character. She turned to face me and was about to wave, only to give me a very confused look. Her dark blue eyes as she looked over my accompanied harem. (Yes, I called the girls hanging on my arms my harem.) She wore a skirt and a white shirt with a blue jacket over it. Her short hair fell to just her chin, with her bangs pushed to the side with a cross clip. She walked off the steps leading to my apartment and approached me quickly. "Onii-chan, do you mind explaining to me who these girls are?"

"Why, hello Yukari, how have you been? Me? I've been great." I said with a lack of emotion. Releasing a breath, I said, "Yukari, I'd like to introduce you to Yomi, Uzume and Toyotama." I gestured to each of them in turn.

Knowing my sister, I instantly knew that she would jump to a conclusion; I was also sure that she would be right. "Nice to meet all of you, but could you answer one question for me onii-chan? _Who_ are they?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Yomi cut me off. "We're his wives!"

_Great!_ Now my little sister thinks I'm a practicing polygamist.

Yukari blinked, surprised at Yomi's outburst. After a few moments pause, she finally said, "Wow, onii-chan. The city has really changed you." She thought for a second then shrugged, "Then again, you were always with a girl at some point. I just never thought you would have three at once."

I groaned, looking around. We were getting even more strange looks. _Great!_ Now random people on the street think I'm crazy _and_ a perv. "Can we, uh, go inside before this becomes an even bigger spectacle than it already is?"

Yukari grinned and chuckled, "Sorry, Takeshi-onii-chan." With that, I managed to pry myself free from my Sekirei and lead all of us up the steps to my apartment and unlock the door, leading all of us inside. Being the last one inside, I looked around slowly and quickly shut the door, glaring lightly at all who looked at me strangely.

Switching out my shoes for slippers, I asked, "What brought you to my abode, Yukari? I don't figure you one for coming all the way to city just to say hello to your onii-chan."

She grinned from her seat next to Yomi. "Heh, I got accepted into a college near here. I'm staying at a friend's dorm, so I decided to come visit you." At that, she turned to Yomi, then looked to Uzume, finally ending on Toyotama. "You know, onii-chan, your tastes have changed quite a bit. I didn't realize you enjoyed your girls that… big." She gave me a lecherous grin, while at the same time eyeing Yomi.

I snorted, smiling lightly, "What can I say? I like my girls to be curvy."

In the span of a second, Yukari vanished. Her perverted aura could easily be seen behind Yomi. My imouto's hands were suddenly clamped firmly onto Yomi's breasts, as if measuring them. "Wow, these puppies are soft. You sure know how to pick 'em, onii-chan."

Yomi's face was instantly alight with a furious blush. She yelled in surprise and pulled away Yukari, running over to me to hide. "How could you?" I heard her mutter to herself, "Not even Takeshi-sama has touched them yet."

That brought a subtle blush to my face. My left hand twitched lightly.

Yukari grinned up to me, "Heh-eh, I bet you haven't even touched them, yet."

Releasing a breath, I said, "Okay, next subject." Talking about the anatomy of my Sekirei with my imouto is not something I have any desire to do. "How have you been so far? I hope everything has been alright."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, onii-chan; there's no one you have to fight on my behalf."

"I'm sorry?" Uzume asked Yukari. "Takeshi fights on your behalf?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm her onii-chan. It's kind of in the genetic code of the elder sibling to kick the shit out of anyone who messes with the little sibling." I said with the same tone you'd say 'the sky is blue'.

Yukari groaned, "That and he takes his job way too seriously. One time, when we were in high school, he heard a remark one of my classmates made about me, so he walked over and asked him to take it back." She grimaced, "The boy didn't."

"What happened?" Toyotama sounded very intrigued at the prospect of me beating the ever-loving shit out of somebody.

"Let's just say he wasn't talking trash for a long while." I spoke for Yukari. "If it wasn't for my perfect record prior to that, they would've kicked me out of school. In the end, they just suspended me." Shrugging, I continued, "To tell you the truth, the boy tried to attack me after school with all of his friends." Shaking my head, I groaned, "All he did was give himself company in hospital."

Yukari grinned, "After that, everyone was afraid to make me angry. They thought I'd send my crazy onii-chan after them." That was when she started eying Toyotama next, obviously intrigued by her midriff baring outfit.

"Wow, bro, you weren't even out of high school and you were already sending people to the hospital?" Uzume shook her head with a grin. As she sat there, though, she was looking around my apartment, clearly trying to get an idea of who her Ashikabi really was.

I rolled my eyes, "Hey, it's not my fault. He escalated it; I asked him to take back the insult."

Yukari perked up, slowly making her way closer to Toyotama. "Actually, onii-chan, you threatened him. From what I remember, you threatened to hang him upside from the ceiling by his big toes."

That caused some minor alarm to come to Toyotama. "Really? You actually threatened him with that? Wow, you don't seem to be that cruel up front."

I shrugged, feeling Yomi leaning against my back. "I'm a pretty calm guy; it's just that if you manage to push my buttons, I will make you royally suffer."

My imouto chose that instance to tackle Toyotama, wrapping her arms tight around my Sekirei's stomach. As Yukari snaked her hands up Toyotama's body, she paused. "Oh my, you don't have any excess fat on you." She rubbed and lightly pinched her bare stomach. "How do you manage that?" She maneuvered herself away from Toyotama put her back to me.

"Manage what?" My first Sekirei scrunched her eyebrows.

"Staying so thin! I mean, you have to stay on some sort of diet or something, right? Or maybe you're a member of a gym?" Yukari asked her in wonder.

Toyotama thought for a moment, "Hmm, I don't really know how. I mean, I enjoy a good meal." _That's an understatement_, I thought to myself. "But, I've only been to the gym a few times." Meeting my eyes, she grinned evilly, "However, I have been known to get a good, sweaty workout from my personal trainer."

Yukari paused for a moment, turned to face me, back to Toyotama, back to me. Suddenly, a look of disgust spread on her face. "I don't want to hear about onii-chan doing…_that_!" She shook her head quickly, her black hair flying everywhere. "Never mind!"

I released a breath and opened my mouth to speak, but I was cut off by Yomi. "B-b-but, what about me?" She pouted and nuzzled against my back, her hands snaking around my waist.

I groaned and as about to speak again, but Uzume whistled, "You act fast, don't you?" She scooted closer to me and whispered, "Say, how long do you wait after you wing 'em to bag 'em." She sounded genuinely curious.

"Mou, Takeshi-sama is gonna do it with me next!" Yomi complained to my third Sekirei.

"Will all of you calm the hell down?" I glared over to Toyotama, who met my eyes with a cold, hungry passion. It caught me off guard to the point where I was squirming lightly. After a moment of regaining my composure, I growled, "First of all, we have done none of that. Toyotama just wanted to mess with you-"

Yukari gasped, "So you're into one _those_ types of girls?" Turning to Toyotama, she bowed lightly, "I appreciate your feelings but I prefer guys."

"Dammit, Yukari! Listen for a moment; that's not what I meant. What I mean is that she just wanted to play a joke on you through a misunderstanding. Second of all, who I 'do it' with is none of your business, Yukari." I glanced over to Toyotama and saw that she was holding back a smile. "Third, I would appreciate it if you kept our personal life just like that, personal." I pointed towards Uzume, "Fourth, that is not a question to ask in front of my sister; I'll give you an answer later." Placing my hands on my waist, I grabbed Yomi's hands and pulled them to the side, holding them firmly. "Fifth, there will be no lewd acts or attempts of such in front of my sister. Understood?" I turned lightly and met Yomi's eyes with a small smile.

Yomi nodded quickly, her face paling lightly.

Uzume shuddered, "That's strangely familiar…" She leaned into me for comfort as she looked around for something. "Miya didn't follow us, did she?" She muttered lightly.

Turning back to Yukari, I released a breath. "Okay, good. Now that that's out of the way, Yukari what do you think you're doing?"

In the middle of my minor tirade, my imouto had maneuvered herself dangerously close to Toyotama, her lecherous eyes locked onto my Sekirei. "Uh, I'm just…" She lunged for my scantily clad Sekirei, but missed horribly. One second Toyotama was sitting in her place; the very next, she was sitting on my right. Yukari looked around, confused. "What just happened?" Upon seeing her target, she said, "Wait, weren't you just sitting right here?"

Toyotama simply cocked her head to the side, "Whatever do you mean, Yukari-san?"

I couldn't help but groan. _Great, now she's screwing with my imouto._ "Okay, enough with the attempts to molest my girls, Yukari." I paused as I massaged the bridge of my nose.

"Okay." She said dejectedly.

"Yeah, that's your job, Takeshi-sama." Yomi quipped.

I released a breath, "Yep, you got that right." I paused suddenly, my Freudian slip finally catching up with my conscious brain. "Stop messing with _my_ head, dammit!"

Uzume grinned, "It's so easy." She grabbed my arm and slid closer.

Yukari groaned, "Alright, alright. If it'll stop the four of you from getting all hot and bothered, then I'll quit attacking them." Giving them a moment to break away from me, she shook her head, realizing that they wouldn't. "I might as well ask, since it's been bugging me: where were you, Takeshi? I called your apartment a few times to tell you I was visiting and you never picked up. I also tried calling your cell, but you never answered that either. I wondered what was wrong, but now that I see you with all of these girls, I think I have a clue."

I lifted a hand, "Before you start coming up with ideas and assumptions as to why, I'll tell you. I went to check out the exam results for Shinto Teito. After that, I noticed that Uzume needed help with…unscrupulous individuals and went to help her."

"For four hours?" Yukari asked doubtfully.

I paused, _was I really out for four hours? I guess that explains my monster appetite afterwards…_

"Um, I think I can explain that." Uzume lifted her hand and smiled lightly. "You see, after he saved me from the 'unscrupulous' individuals, we were really close to the inn I was staying at; so, to make sure I was safe, he escorted me back home." She paused and shrugged, "Takeshi was also really tired when we got back, so I let him sleep in my room for a while."

"My onii-chan slept in your room?" She repeated skeptically. "I wonder; where were you while he was so vulnerable."

Hold up. I was _vulnerable_? There is something seriously demented about my imouto.

"Nothing happened, I assure you. The three of us were all downstairs, talking with my landlady." Uzume explained quickly.

I cleared my throat, "There. Are you happy now, Yukari? Your onii-chan's 'chastity' was preserved once again. If you don't mind, we really need to start packing. I kind of promised Asama-san we wouldn't be long." I pushed myself to my feet.

Yukari pouted, "Mou, do you have to make everything so blunt?"

I gave her a blank look, "I've lived with you long enough to know that anything with any sort of multiple meanings will be taken advantage of viciously by you."

She simply puffed her cheeks and glared. After a moments thought, she said, "What do you mean 'get packed'? Aren't you living here?"

I groaned, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah, not anymore. Mom and I had a deal; if I passed the entrance exam, then I could stay here. I didn't pass, so mom isn't helping me pay for the apartment." Pausing, I pushed a hand through my hair. "It's lucky I ran into Uzume when I did. I've already spoken with the landlady and she said I can move in."

Yukari paused, then stood. "Because you're moving into a new home, I'm going to go out and get you a house-warming gift for when you move into your new home." Saluting, she ran towards the door and left.

"Well that was nice of her." Yomi said nonchalantly, clearly forgetting that she was previously sexually molested.

"That, or she just doesn't want to help pack." Toyotama muttered with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever, let's just hurry up and pack; I want to be done before it gets dark." At that, we all began shuffling around my apartment. Everything was going smoothly, I had Toyotama do the bedding; Yomi was packing away my books; Uzume was packing my clothes; and I was packing away the bathroom supplies. Efficiency was the name of the game, and we were getting the job done.

As I stepped out of the bathroom with my third box, I heard Uzume call out to me. "Well, I guess that answers that question." She said as I saw her hold something out.

"What are question are you talking about?" I asked her warily.

She grinned, "Boxers or briefs?" She then held out one of my boxers, stretched out for all to see.

My face was suddenly burning as I rushed over to her. Taking them from her, I threw them into the box she was putting my clothes. As she laughed, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she really was. The way her bangs lightly framed her face; her soft brown eyes. I know it's out of place and random to say so, but I truly noticed Uzume right at that moment. As she reached forward, no doubt to clap me on my shoulder, I grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

"What are yo-" I cut her off with a deep kiss. I held her close, so that her every curve was touching me. Uzume melted in my grasp, going with the kiss. Our lips moved in slow synchronism, opening and closing in perfect rhythm with each other. The light of her wings flashed outwards as we embraced. A low moan escaped Uzume as she wrapped her arms around my neck, to deepen the kiss.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Due to the surprise, I quickly stepped from Uzume and turned to the perpetrator. Yomi was glaring directly at me with her cheeks puffed out; her hands on her hips. "That's not nice, Takeshi-sama! You just can't kiss Uzume-san and… and…" Her face was suddenly alight with the color red.

I approached Yomi and placed a hand on her arm, "And what?" I asked softly.

Jerking her chin away from me, she stuck out her lower lip. "And leave me out of it." My scythe Sekirei replied softly, obviously angered, if looking a bit amusing to me.

I smiled lightly and gently grabbed her chin. Turning her head so that she faced me, I whispered, "I'm sorry." From the corner of my eye, I noticed Uzume picking up the boxes she had already packed and make her way down the stairs, her face lightly flushed. Returning to Yomi, I pulled my hand from her chin and placed it on her cheek.

Placing her hand over mine, she shuddered lightly. "Your hands are warm." Leaning forward, she fell into me, which forced me to place my hand onto her lower back; otherwise she'd fall onto the ground. That little manipulative minx.

I smiled lightly, "You just want me to hold you, don't you?"

Yomi licked her lips, "I was hoping for more."

"Ask and you shall receive." I whispered with a smirk. Leaning forward, I gently placed my lips onto Yomi's. She them wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my face closer to hers; in response, I firmly entwined my arms around her waist and pulled her as close as she could. Our lips moved slowly, yet with a purpose.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the both of us. Our lips broke contact as we both looked in the same direction. Toyotama was standing at the top of the steps, smirking at the both of us. "I hate to interrupt, but you have a phone call, Takeshi-kun. They said it's extremely important."

I released Yomi with a slight blush. My Sekirei reluctantly stepped away from me, her face alight with a magnificent blush. Smiling, she licked her lips and said, "Maybe next time, Takeshi-sama." Slowly turning away, she made her way down the steps.

Toyotama approached me and held out the phone, he cold eyes meeting mine. As I took the phone, I opened my mouth to say something, but she placed a finger on my lips. "I'll go tonight." She winked and headed back down the steps.

Feeling partially lightheaded, I put the phone to my ear. "Hello, Takeshi Hitomi speaking."

"Wow, Take-chan, you sound like you've had fun. Did I call at a bad time?" Karasuba's teasing voice flew from the phone.

"Actually, yeah." I said with a grin.

The Black Sekirei chuckled darkly, "Well, too bad. I need you to come over to MBI for something."

I blinked, feeling slightly surprised. "Really, for what?"

"It's a gift, for surviving ten years of my hellish training."

Still skeptical, I asked, "This isn't a test, is it? I mean, this is the Karasuba I know, right? The one that says humans are worthless beings and a waste of space on the planet?"

She laughed into the phone, "Yes, it is me. Just get here before tonight; otherwise I'll change my mind."

I smiled lightly, "Alright, I'll see you then." At that, the both of us hung up. Pocketing the phone, I took a last minute search through the room, just to make sure nothing was forgotten. Making my way downstairs, I saw that all three of them were prepped and ready to go. "Uh, I take it all of are ready?"

Yomi jumped lightly, pep in her step. "Yep! Whenever you're ready!"

I chuckled and opened the door, allowing the girls to go first. After all of them were outside, I grabbed my own set of boxes and followed the group after locking the door behind me.

* * *

><p>The walk back to Maison Izumo was completely uneventful; when we returned, Miya greeted us and showed us the way to our room. After putting everything inside, Uzume and I ran back to the apartment to get the rest of the things we needed, like my bookshelf and desk, and returned post-haste, while Toyotama and Yomi pulled everything out and tried to organize everything. Within a few hours, everything was pretty much put into place and my new room was complete.<p>

Stretching, I yawned lightly, "Well, this day's almost done." I was extremely tempted to turn in early, but I needed to get to MBI to get my gift of sorts from Karasuba.

Miya walked up to the doorway, seeing that we were done. "I've brought up the bath, so you can get in if you want."

Yomi lifted her hand and said, "I say we get in." She looked over to me and beamed, "Takeshi-sama, can I wash your back?"

The landlady cleared her throat, "Mixed bathing is allowed; however illicit acts are forbidden. Understand?" She looked to each of us, a feeling of pure dread falling over me.

I warily cleared my throat, "Uh, sorry, Yomi, but I'll have to get in later. There's still one more thing I need to do before turning in." Pushing myself up to my feet, I groaned lightly, feeling the desire to just lie down.

"Oh? Where do you need to go?" Miya asked, curious.

"I need to go to MBI; Karasuba is going to give me a gift for surviving her training for ten years." That earned a skeptical look from Miya, as well as the others. I shrugged in response, "Hey, I don't believe it either, but she said I should be there tonight."

Still skeptical, Miya nodded, "Okay, just don't cause too much trouble. Dinner will be done when you get back." She turned and headed back down the steps.

Uzume stood and said, "I can go with you. I trust that you'll be okay, but I just want to be sure."

Yomi did the same, "Me too; even though she did train you, I still don't trust the Black Sekirei."

I sighed and shook my head. "I'll be fine; the both of you just get inside the bath. Besides, I won't be long." Seeing the look of disappointment on Yomi and one of uncertainty on Uzume I grinned, "Don't worry, I'll be perfectly fine; just go relax in the bath." I walked out of the room, stopping at the top of the steps, eying the wall. There's something there, I just know it. Shaking my head, I head down the steps and trade in the slippers for my shoes.

"I notice you didn't say anything about me." Toyotama was leaning against the doorway, smirking lightly.

I shrugged a single shoulder. "Eh, I believe I owe you a kiss or some alone time; either one is your choice." Upon sliding my foot into my shoe, I said, "You coming?"

"Not yet…" She said slyly.

* * *

><p>The walk to MBI was cut short since Toyotama managed to jump the both of us there. She could easily tell that I was almost on my last leg. When we entered, the both of us were waved by security and I took the elevator up to my mother's office. Since I was here, I figured I might as well give her the key to the apartment. When the elevator came to a stop, Toyotama and I were greeted by a collection of professionally dressed men and women. Even though I was, I did not feel under-dressed at all. Chalk it up to exhaustion-induced apathy.<p>

After exiting the elevator, we walked slowly through the halls of the upper level of MBI, not because I was lost, but I because I knew that no one would stop me. I mean, seriously, who would willingly stop the guy who survived the training of a psychopathic Sekirei?

At that, an abnormally tall guy who appeared to be a few years older than me walked passed, accidentally bumping into my shoulder. He continued walking as if nothing happened, but I heard him mutter apathetically, "Sorry."

I looked over and couldn't help but stare in wonder at his height, "Damn, that dude is tall. I'd hate to be him during a lightning storm."

Toyotama snorted, "Just don't get into an arm wrestling contest with him. His arms were as big as your legs."

That caught my attention, "Were you staring?"

She grunted, "No." She paused, giving me a look. "Maybe."

I groaned, "I'm sorry I didn't give you the time earlier, okay. You had a chance for a session earlier, you said to wait."

"I know." She grinned, "I'm waiting."

I felt a shiver race up my spine. I was suddenly fearing for my chastity; not that I didn't like it. As we continued through the hallways, we came upon the door to my mom's office. Knocking, I waited for a response.

"Who is it?" She sounded frustrated.

"It's your estranged, yet badass son!" I said quickly and grinning widely.

There was a silence, then she replied, "What!" After a moment, she opened the door and gave me a withering glare. "Takeshi? What are you doing here so late?" Not waiting for a response, my mom went back in her office and waved me inside.

"I came to collect a gift from Karasuba. It seems she's going to give me a trophy of some sort for surviving her training." I paused and reached into my jacket pocket. "Also, here's the key to the apartment; I've managed to move everything out into my new place." He dropped the keys onto her desk and said, "One more thing, see any giants lately?"

In response to the third question, my mother simply blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"How could you have missed him? He's easily over six-five." Takeshi said with complete deadpan.

"He also looked like he could easily lift up a car." Toyotama said quietly.

Takeshi groaned again, "For the second time, I'm sorry!" She grinned evilly at him.

My mother shook her head, "Moving on; how on earth did you find another place to live so quickly?" I was unsure of what to do. Should I tell her that I winged another Sekirei and she helped find a new place to stay, or should I say nothing and allow mom to find out on her own and have me get in more nonexistent trouble. Opening my mouth to speak, my mother interrupted me, "You winged another Sekirei, didn't you?"

I sucked in a breath, and pointed at her, "Yes!"

She shook her head, "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not." Shaking her head, mother continued, "Anyway, I just want to ask where you're staying now."

"I'm staying at Maison Izumo."

Mom nodded, "Good, that's a safe place to live. Miya will keep all of you in line." Reaching forward, she took the keys and pocketed them. "Well, I need to get back to work; is there anything else you need?"

I shook my head, "No, not really. I just wanted to stop by, say hello and drop off the keys." I headed back to the door with Toyotama and turned to face my mom. "Hope everything goes well."

She smiled lightly, "Thank you, Takeshi." After a moment's pause, she said, "Well, I, uh, need to get back to work."

I nodded, "I'll, um, let you get to that." With that, my Sekirei and I left my mother's office. As we waited for the elevator to take us to our next destination, Toyotama gave me a questioning look.

"Is everything okay with your mother? Everything just became awkward at the end." She seemed concerned.

I shrugged, "Truthfully, I've never actually been with my mom and sister for long stretches of time. My training with Karasuba has eaten up nearly my entire life; what time I did have with them, though, I valued and made sure it was all worthwhile." At that the both of us went silent.

The ride the rest of the way to the floor Karasuba stayed on was a long one; when the elevator reached the floor, we stepped off and I led us through the halls. Walking quickly, I found Karasuba sitting at a table, sipping at a glass. She was perfectly relaxed, not really paying attention to anything in the room. Next to her was a long, rectangular box. After a moment, she deigned it proper to recognize that I was there. "Take-chan, you're here. A few minutes early too."

I smiled lightly, "What can I say? I was taught to listen to my elders; I was also told that if I didn't listen then you'd skin me alive with your super-evil, Sekirei powers." I said with a grimace.

Karasuba let her head fall back as she laughed generously. "You still remember that?" She asked, slightly incredulous.

"How could I not? I had nightmares for weeks after your training,"

She continued to laugh. Shaking her head, she stood slowly and grabbed the box. Holding it, she held it out to me. "Open it."

I took the box and popped the lid off. As soon as I did, I noticed something falling out. Catching it, I instantly realized what I was holding onto. It felt…familiar. Like I've held it before. "What? You don't mean…?" I lifted the object, and saw it for what it really was. It was a sword; completely grey, with an unassuming appearance, for a sword. It was nearly as long as I was tall, reaching all the way to the middle of my upper arm when standing upright in its tip. Grabbing the hilt in my right hand and the sheathe in my left, I slowly unsheathed the sword and held the sword.

"That is an exact copy of my sword. Just as sharp and just as dangerous." She grinned darkly, "I thought you could use it to keep your skills sharp. After all, with the Plan beginning, I can't keep training you."

I hefted the word in my hand, getting a feel for the weight. I was actually holding the sword that I've seen the Black Sekirei wield in battle. It felt…exhilarating. "Wow…thanks, Karasuba…" I smirked, "I can't wait to put this baby to use."

My mentor mirrored my expression, "I'd love to see how much like mine your style is." Turning away from me, she waved her hand lazily, "Well, that's all I needed you for; you can go home."

I sheathed the sword and turned to walk away. "Thank you, Karasuba, for helping become stronger. I'll repay you somehow."

The Black Sekirei simply smiled, "Just keep me entertained, then you consider everything repaid."

* * *

><p>Moments later…<p>

Toyotama and I stepped out of MBI headquarters and walked quickly down the street back to Maison Izumo. "So, she gave you a sword as a gift for surviving her training?" Toyotama asked as we walked. "That seems, well, out of character for the infamous Black Sekirei."

I chuckled, "Truthfully, I don't know what possessed her to do that, but… It all seems so strange." I held the box firmly over one shoulder, making sure it remained vertical.

We walked for a while; the sky had turned black only a few minutes ago, so night had just started. Within just a few moments, the both of us were stopped by a pair of thugs.

One of them stepped up to us and looked towards Toyotama, "Hey, babe, how about you hang around with a real man. Leave this chump to his lonesome." He very obviously looked up and down my Sekirei's very luscious figure.

I couldn't help but laugh. It started out as a constrained snicker, escalated up to a chuckle, before ending out as a full-blown boisterous guffaw. "Ha! You are the biggest cliché I've ever seen in my life!" I had placed a hand on my stomach, trying to rein in the laughter.

The second one stepped up, "What the hell did say punk?" He casually turned his hand over to show me a butterfly knife.

"Really? That's the biggest blade you have?" I turned to the second guy, my laughter reaching a new peak.

"Listen, here, you little bitch. Just drop whatever you're carrying and walk away. Leave that and the woman to us." The first thug glared at me.

I shook my head, still laughing lightly. Wiping a stray tear from my eye, I couldn't breathe. "I-I…can't breathe!" My body shook with laughter as I took in the extremely clichéd moment tonight.

"I said to get your ass moving!" The second thug lunged at me, stabbing with his knife. My laughter stopped as quickly as it started; throwing my box straight up into the air. Suddenly grabbing his wrist, I twisted it and made him drop the knife. Immediately after that, I threw my other hand forward and slammed it under his shoulder, picking him up and throwing him over my shoulder and behind me. As he fell, I casually turned and threw out my foot, catching him directly in the chest with a kick.

I was careful to hold back, so he only felt the air fly from his lungs as he collided painfully with the ground. While the knife fell, I kicked forward and struck the bottom of the hilt, sending it back into the air and right into my open hand. Catching the knife, I extended my other arm and caught the box. Expertly spinning the butterfly knife with my left hand, I smirked at the first thug. "If you want to attack with a blade…." I grabbed the hilt, holding the knife in a reverse grip. "Don't use a poor excuse for a weapon." I slammed the point of the knife into the brick wall, shattering the blade.

He shook lightly, looking from me to his fallen buddy. His hand twitched towards the inside of his jacket. "W-who are you?"

I grinned and whispered menacingly, allowing the glare from a street light flare over my glasses. "Your worst nightmare."

The thug yelped lightly and threw a hand towards his belt.

I threw my box into the air, "Toyotama, catch." Rushing forward, I jumped and threw a kick to the side, knocking the gun the thug pulled out from his hand. Following up with a spin, I crashed my heel into his chin, knocking him out cold. As he was knocked away, I landed effortlessly on the ground and smirked. "They just never learn, do they?" I looked over to Toyotama and was surprised to see her quickly approaching me.

Before I could say a thing, she leaned the box against a wall and stepped directly in front of me. Entwining her fingers into my hair, Toyotama pulled me into a rough, passionate kiss. Her tongue traversed the inside of my mouth, then wrapped itself around mine. Playing along, I tightly wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. Her hands traveled across my stomach, snaking their way under my shirt and onto my bare chest. A sensual growl escaped her as I heard a ripping sound.

I blinked, opening my eyes. Out of my periphery, I saw that the thug I flipped and kicked earlier had regained consciousness. I broke my kiss with Toyotama and gave him a withering glare. An animalistic growl escaped my lips as we met eyes.

He shuddered, pushing himself away from me. "Monster. Monster… You're a monster!" He pushed himself to his feet and ran away as fast as his feet could carry him.

I shook my head, regaining myself. Looking over to Toyotama, I grinned lightly, "I take it you're doing fine."

She purred and leaned onto my shoulder, pressing a hand over my stomach. "I'm more than fine."

That caught my attention; looking down, I saw that my T-shirt was completely torn in the front. "Damn, when you get into the mood, you _really_ get into the mood." I sighed, trying to calm myself down. "We gotta get back."

"Why don't we go somewhere first? Another hour won't make a difference." Toyotama purred into my ear.

I wanted to; oh, how I wanted to just indulge her. But I have principles. "Can we wait, Toyotama? I don't want to do that just yet." That got a confused look from her. I hurried to explain. "It's not you; it's just I want to wait. I want to get to know all of you before we get down and dirty."

Toyotama paused, then nipped me on the ear. I exclaimed, but she smirked. "That's what you get for teasing me." Leaning on my shoulder, she whispered, "Let me know when, okay?"

* * *

><p>Within a few minutes, we strode into Maison Izumo, only to run into everyone else. Yomi ran to the door and saw that my shirt was ripped. Uzume stepped lazily down the steps, giving me an amused look. Miya stepped from around a corner; from I'd guess the dining room.<p>

The landlady was the first to respond, "Oh, my? What happened to your shirt, Hitomi-kun?"

I scratched the back of my head and chuckled nervously, "We ran into trouble on the way here." Technically, that was the truth, just not the reason my shirt was torn.

Yomi stomped her foot, "Some ruffians attacked my Ashikabi?"

I couldn't help but imagine her as an avenging Angel of Death, cutting swaths into hapless, leather-wearing thugs with her devastating scythe. For some reason, I found that extremely hilarious and had to hold back a grin.

"No need to worry about them, Yomi. Takeshi-kun taught them some respect." Toyotama leaned over to me and grabbed my arm.

"Well, I hope you didn't hurt them too bad." Miya said, sounding concerned.

I shook my head, "It wasn't anything too bad, I just showed them some of my more basic moves; you know, to scare them a little." Though, I was feeling rather perplexed as to how a light glare was enough to scare off one of thugs, even if I did flip him over my shoulder and kick him.

"What did one of them do? Pull out a knife?" Uzume asked, curious.

I nodded, "Yeah, but I disarmed him. Truthfully, I wasn't scared in the least; after all, I had a bigger blade." I held out my box, patting its side.

Miya eyed it for a moment, "Is that the 'gift' it gave you?"

I grinned and opened the box, slowly removing the sheathed sword. "Yes, it is. It was one of hers; one of her unused ones though."

The landlady eyed the weapon and nodded, "I trust that you'll keep it inside your room and sheathed?" She asked me warily.

I released a breath, "Of course, I won't use a real sword for just any type of training. I still have a bokken or two to keep me sharp, but I wouldn't use a real sword unless I had no other choice."

Miya nodded, "I just wanted to make sure." She sighed, then smiled, "Well, the bath is ready for you if want to get inside."

I nodded, "Uh, sure. I'll just drop this off in my room…"

Yomi reached for it. "Its okay, Takeshi-sama. I'll put in the room; you just go ahead and get into the bath. The water feels really good."

I paused, feeling territorial for my new toy of sorts, but handed it over anyway. I trusted Yomi, so I felt alright letting her handle it; just as long as she didn't unsheathe it. "Okay, you can take it to the room; just set it somewhere it's out of the way." At that, I headed to the stairs, only to pause in thought. "Uh, exactly where is the bath?" I lifted a hand and asked.

Uzume grabbed his hand and said, "I'll show you where it is." She then pulled me up the steps.

"Uzume~. You do remember the rules for the bath do you?" Miya said darkly, a dark aura engulfing the immediate area around her.

The pony-tailed Sekirei blanched and nodded quickly, "Yes, Miya, I understand. No lewd acts allowed in the mixed bath." She pulled my hand, "C'mon, Takeshi."

I followed after, also trying to flee the dark and evil aura. As we left the stairs, I couldn't help but eye the wall at the top of the stairs. Uzume led me to the end of the hallway and gestured to the doorway. "This is the bath. Miya gets it ready, so you won't have to worry about it; that is, until she decides it needs to be cleaned." She waited for me go inside. Giving her a jokingly wary look, I walked into the bathroom. Sliding the door closed, I removed my jacket and the remains of my shirt. Undoing the button on my jeans, I allowed them to fall as I stepped out of them.

Folding everything, I placed them into one of the baskets and grabbed a towel; walking into the bath, I whistled. The tub was the in the back right corner, leaving a small moat of water to travel around the entirety of the room. Walking over to the tub, I pulled off my towel and stepped into the water; releasing a breath, I slowly lowered my body into the hot water. Submerging my entire body up to my neck, I relaxed in the water. "Mmm, this feels good."

Leaning my head back, I grabbed my towel and folded it, placing it over my face just above my nose. Relaxing in the water, I just let everything go, allowing all of the stiffness in my body to flow out. That was when I heard the door slide open, followed by the sound of three distinct voices. I chuckled, "Didn't two of you already get in earlier?"

"Mou, Takeshi-sama." Yomi. "Can't we spend some time with you?"

"Did you really think I'd show you where the bath was without getting inside with you?" Uzume. "Give me some credit, here."

"I don't know about the two of you." Toyotama. "But I haven't had the chance to bathe."

I heard the patter of wet feet walking inside the room, followed by the sound of the sliding door closing. I suddenly left a soft hand on my shoulder. "Just sit back and relax, we'll take care of you."

The door was suddenly slid open, crashing to the side. "There will be no lewd acts in the bath!"

I jumped up, surprised, "What the hell just happened?" I looked around quickly, as the towel fell from my face. Each of my Sekirei were covered by a towel wrapped tightly around their torsos; Yomi's hair was down, falling slightly over her chest; Uzume's hair was down as well, but all of it was behind her; Toyotama was simply folding her arms, which seemed to emphasize her…assets. Miya was struck silent, her hand in front of her mouth.

"Oh my!" Yomi held her hands in front of her blood-red face.

Uzume blushed deeply, but grinned, "Not bad, there bro."

Toyotama arched an eyebrow, but smiled lightly.

I blinked, "What? Did I do something wrong?" I looked around for a moment and upon seeing my towel floating in front of me. I grabbed it and wrapped it around my waist. "Sorry about that…"

* * *

><p>I stepped out of the bath and walked passed my room, which Miya just stepped out. Upon seeing me, she smiled sadly, "Hitomi-kun, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. Girls are so difficult to control."<p>

I shook my head, "You don't need to apologize. If anything, I should apologize; you really didn't need to see that. So, I'm sorry." I scratched the back of my head, feeling embarrassed.

She waved her hand to the side, "It's quite alright. It was a misunderstanding." Miya then released a breath and placed a hand on her forehead and breathed out, "Oh, but what will my husband think? I've seen another man!"

I groaned, feeling even more embarrassed, "C'mon, Asama-san! It was an accident!" I adjusted the waist of my jeans, pulling them just a little higher.

My landlady laughed lightly, "Well, c'mon, let's eats dinner." She turned and walked away.

I paused, "Wait, what about the others?"

Miya turned and placed a hand in front of her mouth, starting to laugh ominously. "They were about to break one of my rules, so they don't get dinner." A black aura engulfed her, forming a mask over her shoulder.

I flinched lightly, "Oh, okay…"

After dinner, I headed back to my room. Yomi and Toyotama were already asleep in their respective futons. I smiled lightly, then changed into my shorts and removed my shirt. Climbing into my futon, directly between the two of them, I slowly fell asleep, the exhaustion of the day finally full catching up with me.


	6. The Tech

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, here's the next chapter. I finished a lot later than I thought I would. But, hey, it goes to show how you can only go so far with planning. Life throws stuff at you. Once again, I have nothing too important to say, but I still feel I should put this up._

_Anyway, onto the story. Read/Review/etc._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Six

The Tech

I awoke with a groan, unable to move _at all_. Trying to roll over onto my stomach, I found all of my limbs being held in place. Groaning to consciousness far earlier than I had planned, I found not only my limbs held in place, but my entire body. On my right, Toyotama had grabbed hold of my arm with the both of hers and wrapped her legs around my leg. On my left, Yomi had managed to get one of my arms wrapped around her, as she was laying her head on my chest and sleeping heavily.

Another thing I noticed was a giant lump under my blanket. Said lump was lying on my chest and breathing lightly. Maneuvering my head so that I could see under my blanket, I could see a head of dark brown hair. I sucked in a breath and sighed heavily. The head of dark brown hair mumbled lightly and nuzzled into my chest.

After a few moments of silence, the lump under my blanket pushed itself up, showing Uzume in a rather revealing piece of lingerie: a pink and lacy top that revealed a quite a bit of cleavage. She was also wearing just a pair of pink panties. She stretched and yawned; seeing me watching her, she smiled, "Mornin'."

"Morning to you, too. Do you always give a show to the new tenants after their first night?" I said with a smirk.

She considered her next words; then she grinned, "Only if he's my Ashikabi." She then leaned down and placed her lips onto my cheek. Holding her face above mine, Uzume whispered, "Tell me something about yourself."

I arched an eyebrow, "Why?"

The ponytailed Sekirei shrugged, "Can't a girl know a little about her Ashikabi?"

I paused in contemplation, then nodded, "You have a point there." I thought for a moment, trying to come up with something unique. Lifting a finger, I said, "I helped create the online phenomenon, Traffic Twister. It's much more difficult than you think."

Uzume paused, trying to comprehend the sheer simplicity of what I just said. She opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it again. Before she could form coherent words, I felt a hand placed upon my bare stomach. Yomi yawned from her spot on my left.

"Morning…" She said, still partially asleep.

"Well, good morning to you too, sleepyhead." I smiled as I pushed a stray strand of hair from her face. I then lightly caressed her cheek with a single finger.

Yomi smiled lightly, "I had a really good dream, Takeshi-sama."

"Oh, really, what was it?" I asked her, genuinely curious.

She blushed and bit her lower lip, "Well, it was just the two of us-"

I cleared my throat, interrupting her. "Stop right there. I already know where this is going. I don't want a wardrobe malfunction this early in the morning." I yawned lightly, feeling the gnaw of hunger.

Uzume gave me a sly smile, "A 'wardrobe malfunction', huh? I wonder what you mean by that."

I sighed heavily, "It's morning; I'm a red-blooded male with a healthy 'appetite', if you know what I mean. I'm in nothing but a pair of shorts; I'd explain a little more, but it'd be a little tasteless."

Uzume leaned down to face me, "What's stopping you?"

Looking over her shoulder, I said, "Miya." Somewhere in the middle of my conversation with Uzume, Miya had silently slid the door to my room open, placing a finger over her lips when I noticed her. Truthfully, I wanted to say something, but Miya was gracious enough to let my Sekirei and I move in at the last minute, so I decided to play along.

"Uzume… What were trying to make Hitomi-kun say?" Miya was holding a kitchen knife, a rather large one at that. The way she was holding it actually gave the chills.

Uzume froze, her eyes showing the whites. Slowly turning to face Miya, she tried to plead her case. "I wasn't doing anything, Miya… I just wanted to…to…" She scrambled for a word.

"Talk with me. You know, to get know her Ashikabi better." I helped with supplying a reason. It was something I felt I had to do, since I actually aided and abetted Miya in her silent assault. It was the least I could do.

Uzume nodded quickly, "Yeah, that's exactly it! I wanted to know Takeshi better!"

Miya arched an eyebrow, "By spending the night with him?"

Uzume looked to me for help, but I looked away innocently, whistling nonchalantly. She then looked back to Miya, "How did you know?"

Miya put a hand in front of her mouth, laughing lightly. "There's very little that happens in this boarding house that I don't know of." A dark aura engulfed Miya's presence as a mask appeared over her shoulder and began cackling evilly.

Uzume clung to me for dear life and Yomi dug her face into my chest. The both of them left me with nothing to hide behind; leaving me utterly exposed to witness the dark mask.

Toyotama stirred from her place next to me. "What's going on?" She recognized the fear present in my face, Uzume's cowering form and Yomi as she hid herself in my chest. Glancing up to Miya, she flinched and muttered, "Well…this is a predicament, isn't it?"

* * *

><p>A little while later, I peeked out my door, warily looking around. Miya was nowhere around, as were my Sekirei. Releasing a breath, I pulled on my shirt and a pair of pants. Walking out of my new room, I pushed a tired hand through my hair.<p>

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone race by. Turning quickly, I failed to see who it was. Narrowing my eyes, I released a slow breath and shook my head. "I must've not gotten enough sleep. All the blood is racing downstairs…" I shook my head with a small smile, "Those girls are going to be the death of me." Turning back, I made my way towards the stairs and went down them quickly, pausing to give the wall a contemplative look.

As I entered the dining room, I could hear the chatter from the kitchen. Miya's punishment for Uzume was to help with setting the table, in spite of the fact that she said no breakfast. Yomi had offered to help, which Miya graciously accepted. Toyotama, on the other hand, had simply disappeared after the entire fiasco. Walking back out of the dining room, I saw someone appear from around the steps, a man who looked to be around my age, possibly a little older.

To put it bluntly, he was, what my imouto called, a bishounen. He had medium length, silver hair. His eyes were a similar, but darker color. He had a lean physique and a rather slim waist. Yep, definitely a bishounen; Yukari would've probably had a minor fan girl fit at this point. He lifted a hand and smiled welcomingly, "You must be the new tenant."

I returned his smile, "Yeah, I am; just moved in yesterday." I approached him and held out a hand. "Name's Takeshi Hitomi."

He grabbed my hand and shook, "I'm Kagari. What brought you to Maison Izumo?"

I chuckled lightly, "Well, I ended up getting kicked out of my old apartment and had to find a new place to stay. A friend showed me the place."

Kagari smirked, "Uzume, right?"

I blinked, slightly surprised at his knowledge of my predicament. "Yeah, how do you know that?" I asked, feeling slightly left out of the information loop.

"I got home late last night and found her eating dinner later than usual. She seemed happier than normal, too, so I asked her what happened?" He grinned and gestured to me. "She said that she had met her 'special person' and he had moved in today."

I grinned, breathing lightly on my knuckles and rubbing them on my shirt. "Well, I try."

That got a laugh out of Kagari, if only a small one.

"Anyway, you said you got back late? Where do you work?"

"I work at a host club. Late nights are a regular occurrence, so you may not see too much of me unless you're partially nocturnal." He said with a smirk.

I snapped, "Well, damn; and here I thought I would be the only guy in a house full of attractive women." I sighed, sounding defeated. Shrugging, I continued, "Oh, well, we can both bask in the glory that is of the fairer sex."

Kagari laughed, this time a little louder. "You're a funny one, Hitomi. That's good, Uzume likes the funny ones."

I grinned, lightly adjusting my glasses. "I aim to please." I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "Well, anyway, its nice meeting you, Kagari Hopefully, we won't be trying to kill each other in a few months."

Once again, Kagari laughed, "What makes you say that?" He lifted a hand and shook his head. "No, don't tell me; I'll see for myself." At that, he started walking away, but stopped at the bottom of the steps. Facing me once, he said, "Hitomi, I have to say, you look extremely familiar, like someone I knew a few years ago…"

I snorted and waved a hand, "It's alright, I get that all the time; I have one of _those_ faces."

Kagari laughed again, "Like I said, you're a funny one, Hitomi. Well, I'll see you whenever." He then walked out of sight.

At that very moment, Yomi came charging out of the kitchen, tackling me in the back. Wrapping her arms tightly around my waist, she nuzzled her face into my back. "You're up, Takeshi-sama." She sighed gratefully.

I arched an eyebrow, "Yomi, you only came down here a few minutes before me. It wasn't that long." She released me and I turned to face her. After I did, I immediately sucked in a sudden breath. Yomi was dressed in the French maid outfit I found in Uzume's closet yesterday.

Pouting, Yomi crossed her arms and glared lightly at me. "You're my Ashikabi, Takeshi-sama, which means that I don't like to be separated from you. Why don't you understand that?" Her glare lightened when she realized that I was blushing heavily while I was looking at her. She smiled brightly and stepped away from me, spinning to allow me a 360 view of her new outfit. "Do you like, Takeshi-sama? Uzume lent it to me."

My hand instinctually went to my nose. _That Uzume… she must've also seen me holding the maid outfit as well as the apron. I need to be on high alert from now on…_ "Uh-huh, so I take it you wore that while helping Miya?"

She nodded, smiling proudly. "Yep; she also let me set the table. I really like helping out with preparing everything for breakfast. Miya even said she'd let that be my chore everyday!"

I grinned as I placed a hand on Yomi's head. "That's really great, Yomi. It's really nice that you've found something you enjoy." My scythe Sekirei blushed lightly at my touch.

Yomi then frowned lightly, "The only thing I don't like is that I have to wake up before you, Takeshi-sama."

I scrunched my eyebrows, feeling confused. "What's so bad about waking up early?"

She met my eyes for a moment, then looked away. "I want to wake up with you, Takeshi-sama. I want to wake up in your arms everyday we're together; I want you to whisper in my ear that you love me and that you'll never leave my side." Yomi's blush deepened slightly.

I placed my hand on her cheek; she looked up to me. "Is that what you want from me, Yomi? Is that what you want me to do from now on?" I asked softly, gently.

Yomi's blush deepened, "Well, that's not all I want…" She lifted her hand and began twiddling her fingers, coyly looking up to me.

I released a breath, smiling lightly. Chuckling to myself, I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Allowing my lips to linger, I pulled Yomi into a tight embrace. "What am I going to do with you?" I whispered jovially into her ear.

Yomi nuzzled her cheek into my chest and returned the favor. "I could list a few things for you to consider…" She whispered playfully.

I snorted, "I'm sure you could."

"Yomi! I need you for a little longer. Could you please pull yourself away from Hitomi-kun long enough to help me finish breakfast?" Miya called out from the kitchen.

I released her and took a step to the side, "Asama-san called you, Yomi." I whispered into her ear.

"Oh!" She said, surprised. "I, uh, kinda faded out for a moment." Turning around, she rushed back towards the kitchen, but I grabbed her hand. Yomi turned and looked at me, partially startled.

I smiled still, looking Yomi directly in the eyes. "I'll never be far, so never be apprehensive. I'll always be where you can see, close enough to touch; I'll always be willing to talk, to act, to listen on your behalf. Never forget that, understand?" My voice, barely above a whisper, struck a chord with her. Her eyes swam as she leapt back into my arms, clasping her lips onto mine. Suddenly, she broke away and rushed back into the kitchen, the light of her wings erupting from her back, giving her steps a weightless appearance.

Blinking lightly, I released a breath and laughed to myself. Turning around, I walked through the dining room and out towards the courtyard. As I did, I could hear a faint 'whooshing' noise of something cutting through the air. Stepping to the edge of the hallway, I saw Toyotama moving quickly across the yard, swinging her staff in quick, decisive movements, effortlessly slicing through the air. Spinning the staff around, she expertly flipped forward, traversing the length of the yard in three separate bounds. Crashing the end of the staff into the ground, she released a small breath and rolled a single shoulder.

"I know you're there, Takeshi-kun." She smiled lightly, turning to face me with a half smile.

I smirked, "Oh, you did? Maybe I should work on my stealth then."

Toyotama scoffed, "You do enough already. I think it's time you let us take over." She locked eyes with me, "After all, it is what we're meant to do." Grinning, she spun her staff next to her.

Shaking my head, I sighed, "It's not in my nature to just sit by and let another do what needs to be done. Besides, I never took you as one to just sit back and do what's expected of you."

She looked to the sky, "Of course. I'll do what I want first, but if you ask me to, then I'll fight till the last." Toyotama curved the corner of her mouth upward, and met my eyes with a cold, unmoving resolve. "All you have to do is ask, and I'll carve a path through every single opponent in my path like its nothing."

"All I have to do is ask, huh?" I leaned against the doorway leading out to the courtyard. "Say, Toyotama?"

She inclined her head slightly, "Yes?"

"What do you want from me? As an Ashikabi?" I asked her.

Toyotama walked over to me and grabbed my hand. Lightly caressing my palm, she muttered, "Your hands are rough, callous. You've lived through a difficult trial, only to be thrust into another. But…" She lifted my hand and placed it onto her cheek. Meeting my eyes with her coldness, she continued, "You willingly put yourself into those positions, in order to please another. What I want is for you to be selfish; to do what you want without any consideration for anyone else." She released her staff and placed her other hand onto my cheek. "Don't allow others to decide your path for you, take hold of your own life and lead it where you wish it to go."

I kept our eye contact as I replied, "That was rather insightful of you, Toyotama. I never expected that of you." I paused for a moment, lightly licking my lips. "It was actually kind of hot." I smirked, lightly caressing her cheek with my fingers.

Toyotama snorted, "What do you take me for? A fool who just knows how to fight?" She bit her lower lip, "I love a good fight as much as I love a good romp, one can never too much of either of them." She stepped closer to me and leaned in, her lips hovering inches away from mine. Smiling lightly, she pulled away from me and turned around. Crossing her arms, she looked over her shoulder, "You're too nice, Takeshi-kun; take advantage of one of us every once in a while. Nothing relieves tension like a good roll in the hay." She smirked devilishly and gave me a look that sent chills down my spine.

I licked my lips, feeling very warm. "I'll consider it, Toyotama." Unsure of what to say next, I simply stepped off of the porch and approached her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I tightly pulled her against me.

"What are you doing?" She whispered under her breath. Her face was a light shade of red, clearly not expecting me to act so soon.

I lightly kissed her on the neck. "Taking your advice; I already finished considering it." I gently grabbed her by the waist and turned her around to face me. Her face was still a shade of red, but I could see the eagerness in her eyes. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close; leaning in for the kiss, I stopped and smiled devilishly. Removing my arm, I stepped away from her with an evil grin.

Toyotama, still blushing lightly, glared at me. "You damn tease." She accused playfully.

I clicked my tongue, "Still think I'm too nice?"

She then shook her head, "Actually, yes." She snorted and walked passed me, picking up her staff. "C'mon, let's go get breakfast; I'm absolutely starving."

I snorted in challenge, "For _what_, I wonder." I rolled my eyes.

At that, Toyotama approached me and grabbed me by my collar; holding me in place, she slammed her lips against mine. Invading my mouth with her tongue, she moaned as she moved our lips against each other. Our tongues continually fought for dominance as I wrapped my arms around my Sekirei.

Slowly, but surely, we broke away from one another. Licking my lips, I asked, "What was that about?"

Toyotama dragged her thumb across her lower lip, licking it lightly. Glaring coldly at me, she said, "I hate teases."

I arched an eyebrow, "You teased me first."

She simply shrugged, "I'm a woman, I'm allowed." Turning around, Toyotama walked away from me. I hated to see her leave me at that point, but I couldn't help but love watching her walk away.

Stepping onto the porch, I walked into the dining room just in time to see Miya, Yomi and Uzume setting the food onto the table. As if on cue, my stomach began growling, showing its desire to feast on the food being placed on the table.

Miya laughed lightly, "My, aren't we hungry?"

I placed a hand on my stomach and smiled sheepishly, "You could say that…" Helping out, I placed each of our drinks at each of our seats and took my seat. As soon as I sat down, Yomi was instantly at my right, taking that space for her own. Though not as quickly, Uzume took her place at my left. Toyotama sat across from me. "Thank you for the meal." I said before starting to eat.

The four of us ate in silence, though Miya perked up. "So, Hitomi-kun, I remember you saying you had a job during our interview. What do you do again?"

I paused, "I'm a supervisor at the construction site; you know, the one near the arboretum. I've worked there for little over a year, starting out as one of the construction workers themselves, and then I moved up little by little. I don't much, really, but I still attempt to get everything done the best way I can."

My landlady smiled, "That's good; hopefully your hard-working nature will rub off on Uzume. She's notorious to going above and beyond the call of duty on trying _not_ to do something productive." She glared lightly at Uzume, a dark aura slowly accumulating around her.

I nearly choked when I saw the early stages of that mask forming. Dropping my chopsticks, I hastily added, "Don't you worry, Asama-san! I'll definitely make sure Uzume learns from my good example! Just don't create that mask!"

Miya looked over to me with an innocent expression. "Mask? Whatever do you mean, Hitomi-kun?"

I felt Yomi clinging to my side, desperately trying to hide herself from Miya's deadly gaze and that dreaded mask. Uzume was leaning slightly away from Miya, also trying to get behind me. Toyotama on the other hand, was simply still eating, though I could see the paled expression on his face. "Don't you worry, Asama-san; I'll make sure she learns my habits."

Uzume looked over to me, slightly shaken and nodded quickly.

After that little incident, we finished breakfast and the four of us stood at the front door. I was holding the list of food Miya needed for dinner tonight and over the next two days. Slipping my shoes on, I read through the list one last time. "Aright, we can get everything in one go if we go to the local supermarket. Since its Saturday, there should be a sale going on so…"

"We'll be back in no time!" Yomi cried out happily. She was beaming; it was to be understood, considering the talk we had earlier raised her spirits frighteningly well.

Pulling on my jacket, I folded the list and slid it into my breast pocket. "We're heading out, Asama-san." I lifted a hand and announced my departure.

Miya waved us off, "Be careful, you four!"

We made our way down the street with no problem. As we walked towards our destination, I felt partially grateful that Yomi was back into her original attire. Uzume was back into her capris and long sleeve shirt. "I have a question for the three of you."

"Oh?" Toyotama answered lightly.

"Yes, Takeshi-sama?" Yomi clamped lightly onto my arm.

"What is it?" Uzume asked.

I paused, licking my lips. "It's about your battle outfits. I've seen many Sekirei running around the city and I can't help but wonder what fashion designer had the fetishistic desire to dress each of you in the strangest outfits. I mean, who gives you those clothing? Does the scientist who worked on you give their input, or is Minaka just a giant perv?"

Truthfully, I shouldn't have really said anything, else I'll become a hypocrite. In all truthfulness, I probably would have done the same thing.

"Actually, we chose our own clothing." Yomi said happily.

I blinked, caught off guard. "I'm sorry?"

Yomi nodded, "Yeah, MBI hired a whole bunch of designers and tailors and allowed each of us to decide what our own clothing would be. They let us choose the colors, the type of fibers, and different accessories to go with it."

"Since every Sekirei is different, MBI wanted to make sure everyone recognized that, in a way." Uzume jumped into the conversation. "Every Sekirei has a unique power, so they chose what they wanted to wear specifically so it wouldn't get in the way of their power."

I nodded slowly, "Okay that explains your battle outfit, barely; but what about the two of you?" I looked to Yomi and Toyotama.

Yomi pouted lightly, "What's wrong? You don't like it?" When I shook my head, she smiled widely. "I chose this because I thought it was cute. I also wanted to be cute for my future Ashikabi." She cuddled closer to me, beaming.

I turned my head to Toyotama, who was simply smiling. When she saw me looking at her, she shrugged, "I didn't want anything special: just something that didn't get in the way; something comfortable; also, something that gave my Ashikabi ideas." She grinned when she caught my slight blush.

I cleared my throat and pulled the collar of my shirt outwards. "Alright that answers one question…" Toyotama began to laugh to herself; Uzume joined in with her a few seconds later. Yomi was simply lost in communication. I grimaced and growled lightly, "Okay! Alright…"

My girls stopped laughing out loud, but continued to chuckle lightly to themselves. The four of us continued on our way, with no relative trouble, which is a first for me. I normally end up having some convoluted event happening to me. Due to the strangeness of my life, I now no longer expect having a normal, uneventful life. I expect strange people to crash through the wall and just start attacking me or the people near me. I expect the weirdest things to be said and to be given the most straight-faced response. Just as there optimists and pessimists, there are realists and 'fantasyists'; I happen to be a fantasyist of sorts. However, regardless of that, I was still caught completely off guard by the sight I came upon a half an hour after we departed from Maison Izumo.

That guy can't be human, he just _can't_ be. Clearly standing a little over seven feet tall, the juggernaut of sorts was lifting a barbell with a shitload of weights on either end of the bar; effortlessly, I might add. I could clearly at least seven 100 pound weights on either side. I stopped mid-step and immediately stared, dumbfounded. I blinked several times, trying to see if what I saw was an illusion or not. It wasn't.

At the same time, I noticed a woman lying down on a lawn chair, holding a sunbathing mirror. She seemed to be asleep on the lawn chair, breathing faintly. A second girl could be seen hanging upside down from a tree branch, taking pictures of the house. As I looked to the house, I noticed a telescope poking out a set of blinds; after I looked at it for a few seconds, it was quickly pulled back inside.

"That's the same giant from MBI we saw last night, wasn't it?" I asked Toyotama with a whisper.

She nodded, her eyes wide with surprise, "Yeah, I think so." She narrowed them, "Is he lifting fourteen hundred pounds like it's nothing?"

I arched an eyebrow, "He's not human." I said with finality.

"What are the two of you talking about?" Yomi interjected.

"Nothing important." I grabbed her hand and started walking forward. "C'mon, let's hurry; if we're late, then Asama-san will get angry." I couldn't help but smile as I saw Uzume rush ahead of me, trying to get to the supermarket as quickly as possible.

We reached the supermarket in record time, if I may say so myself. Though we were given strange looks as a group, considering Yomi was carrying her scythe and Toyotama her staff. Well it was more for Yomi, considering she would look the most harmless of my girls, if it weren't for said scythe. Plus, Toyotama's blatant midriff baring outfit was drawing eyes like flies to honey.

Uzume approached me and held out her hand, "Takeshi, can I see the shopping list?" She cocked her head to the side and smiled lightly.

"Sure." I reached into my breast pocket and held it out to her. She took it, examined the note for a moment and tore it in half. Handing one half to Toyotama, she grabbed my hand and pulled me to her side. "We can cover more ground, faster, if we split into groups of two and get what's needed." She wrapped an arm around one of mine and grinned, "I'll look with Takeshi while the two of you look together."

Yomi pouted, "Mou! I wanted to look with Takeshi-sama." She glared lightly at Uzume, who simply returned her glare with a small smile.

Knowing this could escalate, I lifted a calming hand. "Look, its okay, Yomi. I'll be with Uzume, so you don't need to worry." I said to her softly. "Just look for what we need with Toyotama; besides, I need to speak with Uzume." Turning to Toyotama, I said, "Keep an eye on Yomi for me, okay?"

She smirked and nodded, giving Yomi a look reserved for complaining children.

Yomi crossed her arms, resting a cheek on the shaft of her scythe. "If you say so, Takeshi-sama…" Finally, she relented, her arms falling to her sides, a hand still holding the scythe. "I'll go with Toyotama. Be careful, okay?"

Uzume grinned and chuckled lightly; throwing an arm around my shoulders, she said, "Don't you worry, I'll keep an eye on bro. I won't let him out of my sight!"

I released a breath, "I'm not a fragile piece of silverware. I can take care of myself." I muttered under my breath, unable to hold back a smile. As much as it frustrated me, I couldn't help but feel grateful for her concern. Against Sekirei, it was well-placed; however, if I had to defend myself against another Ashikabi, I'd be perfectly fine.

Yomi released a breath and smiled lightly. "Okay."

Toyotama placed a hand on the scythe Sekirei's shoulder and said, "We'll only be separated for a little while, so there's no need to worry. Even then, it won't be far." Thank the gods for Toyotama and her very efficient common sense! At that, they walked off into the store to get what was on their half of the list.

Uzume and I walked over to the other end of the store and began looking through the inventory. As we looked, Uzume asked, "So, why did you want to get me alone?" She smiled devilishly, "Do you want me, Takeshi?"

I cleared my throat, "That's not the reason, but that is on grounds for heavy consideration. What I wanted to ask is what would you want me to do, as your Ashikabi? I mean, I did wing you in a sudden situation. There wasn't a lot of time to just talk things over."

Uzume shook her head, "I didn't want to talk things over because I felt that I didn't have to. I just wanted to be yours. Talking wouldn't have made much of a difference. My body reacted to you; when I dreamed of you, my heart raced, clamored for me to meet you, to know you; when I saw you the moment you saved me, I instantly knew who you were. I knew that you were there not to just wing me, but to save and protect me." She grabbed my hand, entwining her fingers with mine. A small blush grew on her face, "Although I'd want my Ashikabi to remain out of harm, I found it really sweet and courageous that you'd put yourself in harms way to protect someone."

I grinned lightly, "Aw, c'mon, you're gonna make me blush." I lightly scratched my cheek with a single finger.

"You're already blushing." She leaned over to me and placed her lips onto my cheek. After the kiss, Uzume placed her head on my shoulder. "As for what I want you to do, I don't really know what I want you to do. Right now, all I really want you to do is to show me what it means to be your Sekirei." She sighed heavily, "Even if it means showering me with unending love, then I guess I'll have to live with it."

I rolled my eyes with a smile, "Yeah, sure; I'm not sure if that 'love' you're talking is the kind I'm thinking about."

"Ohh?" She said lightly. "What type of 'love' are you thinking about, Takeshi-chan?" Uzume asked playfully, inching closer to me.

I bared my teeth in a smile, "Well, considering your actions earlier toady, it makes me wonder what you really want." I absently placed a hand onto her waist, pulling her closer.

A small chuckled escaped Uzume as she smiled, "I wonder what's going through that head of yours and if I'm involved."

I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Maybe you should ask me. You never know what the answer could be." That actually elicited a blush from her.

Uzume looked into my eyes and said, "What're you thinking about?"

I lightly grabbed her by the chin, lightly massaging the corner of her mouth. Leaning over her shoulder, I whispered, "People are watching us, maybe we shouldn't act so obviously." I couldn't help but laugh lightly when I saw Uzume jump.

She looked around and saw the small collection of fellow shoppers watching the two of us in wonder. "Oh…" She made no move to break away from me.

Well, more so in the fact that I was flirting with a girl like Uzume. I mean, she'd normally be out of my league, but the wonders of the Plan can work miracles. Now if only they'd seen me with all three of them; I'm sure they'd be picking up their jaws from the ground.

After that little incident, the two of us went about grabbing what we needed and placing them into the bag Uzume carried. As we moved from aisle to aisle, I couldn't help notice the people staring at the two of us with looks of incredulity, more directed to Uzume. I tried not to look smug; after all, it's not everyday you start going out with an inhumanly beautiful, ass-kicking young woman, let alone three of them. But then again, this is the Sekirei Plan, so those chances grew by a little.

We made our into the frozen foods section and ran into a pair of familiar faces. The lightning twins, no longer clad in S&M gear, but in maid outfits, were looking over a few different frozen meats. I froze, but Uzume continued over to the rack. Scanning a few products, Uzume glanced up to me, a confused look on her face. "What's wrong, Takeshi?"

I lifted my hand and pointed to the twins, at a minor loss of words.

One of the twins seemed to have noticed me, as she froze suddenly; her eyes widened and pointed to me. Thankfully, it wasn't crackling with energy. The second one looked to her sister in confusion. "What is it Hikari?"

Hikari and I locked eyes and spoke in perfect sync, "You!"

The moment she said that, I saw a crackle of energy shoot from her finger before I could do a thing to evade. Lifting my arms, I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable electrical shock. There was none. Opening my eyes, I saw a wall of cloth obstructing my view of the lightning twins.

Uzume stood in front of me, her left arm extended to the front. Letting the cloth fall, it wrapped itself around her arm. Once I had the twins in sight again, I saw that one of them was holding the other back.

"Hikari, you can't attack an Ashikabi!"

The one being held back glared at me, "But, he was the guy who managed to beat us, Hibiki. He kept us from deactivating the staff Sekirei."

Before either of them could continue, Uzume interjected, "As much as I find your argument entertaining, I'd like to know exactly why you attacked my Ashikabi, Hikari." Uzume sounded frightening, even to me. At the same time, I felt completely secure, untouchable.

Hikari and Hibiki froze suddenly, obviously understanding how pissed off Uzume was. The one who attacked me, Hikari, gulped, "Wait a second, this guy's your Ashikabi, Uzume?"

Uzume narrowed her eyes, "Yes, he is. Now, answer my question: why did you attack my Ashikabi?" The sheer seriousness and the flat-out death threat behind her words surprised me to the point of being struck dumb with silence.

Hibiki blinked, cautiously stepping back. Before she could say anything her defense, I placed a calming hand on Uzume's shoulder. "It's alright, Uzume. I appreciate you defending me, but its okay. I actually deserved that." I shrugged, "Besides, I kinda surprised them with a bag of flour and attacked them to save Toyotama."

My Sekirei calmed partially, giving me a questioning look before lowering her guard. "It's fine that you did it then, but you have the three of us now. No more charging in, okay?"

"Hold up!" Hikari said loudly; catching herself, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "You've winged _three_ Sekirei? Already?" She looked to me incredulously

I scratched the back of my head, grinning sheepishly. "I've been told that I work fast. I guess?" I chuckled lightly.

Uzume grinned, "I've only been with him for a day and I already know he's selfless and kind. I'd even say he's better than Seo." She crossed her arms with a triumphant smirk.

The three of them continued to banter back and forth, going from comparing me to the twin's Ashikabi, to how Miya's doing, to the state of the game. I actually turned around and started looking through the frozen foods section, trying to find what was on the list. Of course, that was when I realized that I didn't really have the list, Uzume did. Looking over to her, I saw the sheet of paper poking from her back pocket. Casually reaching forward, I cast a few quick glances to the side, trying to see if other saw me reaching for my Sekirei in a very suspicious manner. Quickly pulling the list out of her pocket, I began scanning it; glancing up to the foods, I made sure to get exactly what Miya was asking for.

Taking the ingredients from the rack, I walked up to Uzume as she finished talking with the lightning twins, whose names currently escapes me, again. "Well, I got what we needed from here. This seems to be the last thing we have on the list. The others should have the rest."

Uzume opened her bag and let me drop the food into it. "If that's everything, then we should meet them up by the register." Turning, she grabbed my hand and led the both of us to meet with Yomi and Toyotama.

We came upon them just as they were leaving a nearby aisle. Uzume must have torn off the smaller portion of the list and kept it, because Toyotama was carrying a brunt of the groceries, while Yomi was carrying a little less. Upon seeing the two of us, the two of them quickly approached us.

"Is that everything?" I asked when they approached.

"Yes, though, I highly doubt the list was evenly distributed." Toyotama pursed her lips and glared lightly at Uzume.

Uzume grinned sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes, "Enough. Let's just pay for all of this and get back." The price of all the food was hefty, but then again, living with several Sekirei can do that to your food bill. We ended up needing several bags in order to bring everything back. Due to my chivalric nature and the fact that I am a man, I ended up carrying most, if not all, of the bags; though it was nothing.

The sun was still in the sky when we left the store. I could tell it was early afternoon, a few hours since I awoke this morning. As a group, the four of us made our way through the short cut back for a few reasons. For one, I wanted to hurry and get everything to Maison Izumo before anything went bad; second, I had a really bad feeling in my gut. Due to the tendency of my gut being right most of the time, I felt it would be wise to be hurry back.

Regardless, I managed to keep my pace normal and composed. I didn't want to make my girls worry, so I decided it would be better to continue with what we were doing and not have anything random and crazy happen. Keeping my pace calm and controlled, I managed not to twitch, the urge to run screaming at me.

Once again, we passed the giant's home again. He wasn't outside this time, only he had left a set of weights double the amount from last time.

"Is he lifting over a ton, this time?" Toyotama asked lightly.

I groaned audibly, "That guy isn't human." I muttered under my breath. "C'mon, let's get back to Maison Izumo. I just want to sit down and relax."

After that, the walk back to Maison Izumo was rather uneventful. Walking inside, Miya showed us where to put everything away. After that was done, she allowed all of us to rest for a little while. Sitting back, I crossed my ankles and closed my eyes. Within a few moments, I felt someone take the seat next to me.

Opening my eyes, I saw Uzume looking to the sky. "Where're the others?" I asked to make some idle conversation.

"Yomi is with Miya, trying to learn how to cook; Toyotama just vanished somewhere." She shrugged and leaned back, resting her head on my shoulder.

I nodded and yawned lightly.

"Tired?" She asked with a small smile.

"Slightly; if I knew that being with the three of you would be this exhausting, then… Nope, I still would've jumped in and helped you. I'm too much of a nice guy for my own good." I absently rubbed my eye, feeling partially exhausted.

Uzume fell backwards, lying on my shoulder. "The world needs more people like you, there's a shortage of nice guys." She closed her eyes and hummed to herself.

I snorted, "If there were more people like me, then the world have a population shortage; I'm not exactly the guy with an abundance of common sense. Hell, I provoked a Sekirei when I saved you."

"It's not _what_ you do; it's _why_ you did it." Uzume casually put her hand onto mine.

"Ever heard of the phrase, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'?" I grinned when Uzume opened her eyes to glare at me.

"Do you always have to be so pessimistic?"

I continued to grin, "I always try to see things from two or three point of views. It helps me with choosing the appropriate course of action. I consider myself an amateur strategist, if not a very good one." I released a breath, closing my eyes again.

Uzume was silent for a moment, as if thinking something over. Then she spoke, "Hey, Takeshi? Is it true what I heard from Yomi? That you're a part of the Discipline Squad?"

I opened my eyes and looked down to Uzume. She seemed to be concerned about something. I hated that look; I just realized that. I hated the look of confusion and apprehension that my Sekirei had on her face. Leaning forward, I lightly kissed Uzume on the lips, eliciting a surprised jerk from her. Over time, she relaxed into she kiss, moaning lightly. After a few seconds, I broke it and looked her in the eyes. Good, the look was gone. If there is one thing I can do over the course of this game, it's making sure my girls never have to feel frightened and confused.

"What was that for?" My ponytailed Sekirei asked with a smile, faintly touching her lower lip with a finger.

I shrugged, "Can't a guy kiss his girl for no reason?" I released a breath and reached forward with my hand; placing it on her cheek, I said, "As of right now, I'm considered a probationary member. When the Game really starts, I'll be asked to take part only if they need to send a 'message' to the Ashikabi."

Uzume's eyes widened, "What? Send a message to the Ashikabi?"

I nodded, "In a Game like this, where one of the rules is that a Sekirei can't attack an Ashikabi, there will be a few Ashikabi who'll take advantage of that rule. They asked me to be a part of it so I can help deal with those rowdy Ashikabi." I pulled my hand away from her and placed it on the ground, to lie back. Yawning, I closed my eyes. "I've been having second thoughts as of late. I said I would join without thinking, but I'm starting to think it would be better for me, and the three of you, if I remained as just a normal participant."

Uzume leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder. "I'm sure you could do well."

"How so?" I asked, just wanting to hear her response.

"There are 108 of us trying to find our Ashikabi; in theory, all of us should be able to. But, there are people who take advantage of us. Once someone finds a Sekirei and realize that once winged, we can't deny our Ashikabi, they decide that they want more." She paused, as if trying to think of what to say. "Even if we don't find our destined Ashikabi, if we're winged, then we're stuck. We can't hit the reset button and start over; we're stuck in a loveless union with that Ashikabi. I think that if you were a part of the Discipline Squad, then you could help make a difference."

I stiffened, surprising Uzume. I could feel my anger bubbling, my rage coming to the surface. "Joining them wouldn't make a difference; Benitsubasa just wants a good fight; Haihane doesn't care unless she's fighting; Karasuba just wants a strong opponent; Natsuo won't tell them to do anything they don't feel like doing. If I joined them, if _we_ joined them, then nothing would change. All it would mean is that we're working for MBI." Releasing a breath, I tried to calm myself down. "I may not be able to make a difference on the Disciplinary Squad, but I will promise this: I will do everything within my power to make sure every single Sekirei we come across will find their Ashikabi, their _destined_ Ashikabi. I will always fight against those who would wish to wing Sekirei simply to increase their numbers. I will make sure every single little bird gets her, or his, chance to find happiness in life." I clenched my fist and lifted it; flexing my arm, I grinned. "That's a promise, no, a vow, I'll bet my life on."

Uzume met my eyes, searching them for any hesitation. Upon finding none, she chuckled and buried her head into my chest. "You're too kind, you know that?" She smiled lightly.

I released a breath, "Actually, yes, I know. But I think it's a plus… I think. I'm not sure…." I paused, then I shrugged.

She laughed at that. "You're too much…"

"I try…" I smirked.

"Uzume. Yomi needs your help; we're doing chores." Miya stepped onto the porch. She looked down to the two of us. Shaking her head, she smiled, "Oh, what am I going to do with the two of you?"

Uzume pushed herself up. "Well, I guess I should go help Yomi, then." She winked at me, "See ya later, Takeshi." She then walked out of sight.

Miya was still for a moment and then slowly sat down, taking the space next to me. "Hitomi-kun? Did you really mean what you said?"

I glanced over to Miya, "I'm sorry, Asama-san? What do you mean?"

"The promise you made to Uzume; the one about helping out the Sekirei finding their destined Ashikabi." She turned her head to face me, her eyes hesitant. "Did you mean it?" Her voice was soft.

I met Miya's eyes with conviction. "Over time, Asama-san, when you get to know me as your tenant, you will learn that I always keep my word. Regardless of circumstance or persons involved, I will always make sure I follow through on a promise." I looked to the sky, "Years ago, I met someone who would go on and on about humans and the 'little birds', how they would teach one another love. I'd sit back and listen to everything she said, taking it all in and letting it stew. It was what she said that gave me the resolve I needed to continue training when things got tough. No matter how many times I fell, I'd get right back up and keep going. As long as I have breath in my body, Asama-san, I will make sure every Sekirei I come across finds his or her Ashikabi; I'm willing to bet my life on it." My voice was soft, just above a whisper, but the conviction in which I placed on my words was enough to send chills down my own spine.

Miya looked away; she smiled ever so lightly. "I see." Standing, she turned and faced me. "Hitomi-kun, I'd like to formally welcome you into my home, and your future one, Maison Izumo. I hope your stay will be a long and happy one."

I pushed myself up and faced Miya. "So do I, Asama-san, so do I." I pocketed my hands. The next moments flew by as though time itself was on fast-forward. My body was screaming for me to lie down and go to sleep; I may not have done anything overtly physical, but my mind was sluggish and tired. I absently felt Yomi sitting at my side, talking to me. She took some of the food off my plate and held it up to me with her chopsticks. I allowed her to feed me, eliciting a vibrant blush.

Toyotama was giving me a look too; I failed to register why, but I recognized that she was also holding her chopsticks out to feed me as well. I obliged her, witnessing a spark of warmth in her eyes.

After dinner, I excused myself to get to bed. Heading up the stairs, I passed by the suspicious door without a second glance. Walking into my room, I slowly changed into my sleep clothes and pulled out the futons. Setting them out, I finally collapsed onto the middle one. Falling into unconsciousness, I was grateful for a chance to sleep.

What felt like hours later, my eyes cracked open. The sky was dark and so was my room. Yomi and Toyotama were on either side of me; Yomi was curled into a ball, facing me. Toyotama was facing away from me, though I felt her hand holding tightly onto mine. Breathing slowly, I looked around my dark room, not really wanting to move.

Of course, that was when I noticed my door cracking open and sliding closed slowly. "Uzume?" I whisper questioningly. In response, I heard a maniacal little giggle and felt someone crawl under my blankets and up my body. Feeling a cold, soft hand touch my stomach, I shivered lightly. "Uzume, you know Asama-san won't like it if she finds out you're in my room again." The blanket over chest slowly lifted, revealing a shine from glasses. I blink, rubbing my eye with a free hand. "You're not Uzume…"

The girl hovering over me had long, partially braded red hair which fell over the two of us. She wore a white dress with partially-detached sleeves slightly longer than her arms. Her bountiful chest was pressed onto me as she looked down to me with a flushed face. "I am Matsu, Number 02 and you are my Ashikabi." She leaned down and pressed her lips onto mine with out any warning. A shining light erupted from her back, engulfing my dark room in a brilliant light.


	7. The Leaf

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with schoolwork, which has been picking up as of late. Going along with that, I've been distracted as of late, mainly with TV Tropes. Freakin' TV Tropes has sucked up hours of my life. DX I need an intervention._

_Anyway, read/enjoy/review/etc. Yadda, yadda, yadda…_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Seven

The Leaf

"Matsu, how far are we from our destination?" I pressed a finger to my earpiece. I was holding onto one of Uzume's cloths for dear life, swinging back and forth as she raced across the rooftops.

"Around three and a half more miles, Take-tan." Matsu's childish voice replied matter-of-factly.

I grimaced, removing my hand from the earpiece. "This wasn't one of my best plans…" I more tightly wrapped the cloth around my hand and wrist, just to reaffirm my grip on my life. Double tapping the button on my earpiece, I asked, "Oi, who's feed am I on?"

"Mine." Was the curt reply.

"Oh, hey Akira. How're you getting to the rendezvous point?" I promptly heard the sound of brick being destroyed and scattered. "Oh… the dungeon bypass tactic, huh?"

"Of course." He replied tersely.

_Damn, trying to have a conversation with this guy is like pulling teeth…_ "So, uh, I've heard that that's therapeutic. Is it?"

"Indeed."

I groaned, failing to conceal it. Rubbing my temples with my free hand, I tried another approach, "How so?"

"It loosens up the joints and gets the blood flowing." There was a paused. "It's also good for the skin…"

I nodded, "I see; I see." I paused for a moment, allowing that to sink in. "Wait, what? Good for your skin? Are you shitting me?"

"Of course not. Would I lie?"

I made a confused sound, "I don't know; I just met you." I groaned. Shaking my head, I asked without any hope of getting a positive answer. "Would you recommend it?"

"Not unless you want to break your bones."

I paused, unsure of how to reply. "You're not messing with me, are you?" I asked him. There was a pause from his end. "Uhhh, I think I'd rather do the air mail tactic."

Akira snorted, "Have fun with the 30 mile an hour winds. I hear it's supposed to storm tonight."

I blinked, "Wait, what?" That was when I suddenly felt the force of said winds striking against me, sending me flying all over the place. I cried out in surprise and fear. "I hate you, Akira Oshiro! I hope you rot in hell!"

"Already there." He said smugly over the earpiece's mic.

I double tapped the earpiece to go to a new channel. "SOMEBODY, PULL ME UP!"

* * *

><p>Two weeks earlier…<p>

I blinked slowly, giving the Sekirei laying on top of me a very perplexed look. "Who are you again? I'm not exactly the most attentive right now."

She pouted and sat up, straddling my waist. Crossing her arms, she said, "I know all about who you are, but you won't take the time to remember my name."

I groaned, "I'm three-fourths asleep right now; I'm surprised I can still remember my own name." I absently rubbed my eye. "Also, how do you know all about me when I just met you?"

The red-haired Sekirei grinned, a sheen coming over her glasses. "You're Takeshi Hitomi. You have a grandmother, mother and little sister. Your father is unknown. You were top of your class all throughout your school-life. Unfortunately, you've failed your last two entrance exams into Shinto Teito. For the past ten years, you've trained in martial arts under MBI's hound, Karasuba, and lived to tell the tale." She leaned down and looked directly into my eyes. "You're exceptionally strong as a human and as an Ashikabi. That is why I've chosen you to be my Ashikabi."

I blinked one final time. "Wow, I guess you _do_ know about me." I then lost consciousness. Or I would have if I hadn't felt her grab me by my shoulders and shake me roughly.

"Come on, Take-tan. Stay awake! There's still some experimentation we still need to do." My eyes snapped open and my body reacted on reflex alone; throwing a hand forward, I wrapped it around her wrist and pulled it to the side. Knocking her off guard, I managed to push her back and get myself into a sitting position and have her flipped onto her stomach.

Keeping a soft, but firm grip on her arm, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Please don't sneak up on me, I don't like fighting dirty." My words were sluggish and slurred, since I was still partially exhausted.

The door to my room suddenly slammed open, revealing Miya glaring at the two of us. "Hitomi-kun…may I ask why you have your fellow tenant in such a provocative position?"

I arched an eyebrow at her, "I'm sorry?" Looking down to the Sekirei I had captured, I suddenly realized the position that I was in: I had her on the ground, face down, with her behind in the air. I was also directly behind her, no pun intended. While I was holding her hand still, I was in contact with her in a very questionable way. "Oh… My bad." I released her and quickly fell back.

Uzume stepped into the doorway and peeked inside. Upon seeing the Sekirei, she grinned sheepishly, "I, uh, see that you've met Matsu."

"Matsu…" I said the name of my newest Sekirei before falling back onto the ground, unconsciousness taking me once again.

* * *

><p>The next day…<p>

"What you're saying, Hitomi-kun, is that you don't remember what happened last night?" Miya asked me dubiously.

I chuckled lightly, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, Asama-san. I genuinely don't remember what happened after I fell asleep last night. Truthfully, the only thing I do remember is having Matsu sneak in my room and kiss me. After that, I guess I kinda blacked out." I nervously rubbed the back of my head.

Miya arched an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe…"

I lifted a hand, "That's perfectly reasonable to say, but I have had instances where I have sleepwalked." I paused, then sighed, "Let's just say that my training was rigorous to the point of making me very reactive when someone comes near me when I'm sleeping."

"Really?" Uzume wondered skeptically. "What about when I went into your room the previous night." She regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth, as Miya glared lightly at her.

"You see, I didn't react because it has something to do with the fact that you're my Sekirei _and_ I know you won't try anything overtly." I looked over to Matsu, giving the redhead an amused look. "Matsu, on the other hand, is someone I've never met. Regardless of the fact that she's my Sekirei now, my body still moved on its own." I turned and faced Matsu, "I just want to apologize, Matsu, for what I did." I bowed to her.

She simply waved her hand, "Its okay, Take-tan. It was just a misunderstanding, no one's at fault." Matsu paused, then began to laugh suggestively to herself. "Though I have a few ideas on how you can make it up to me."

"Matsu..." Miya's voice carried itself ominously towards my newest Sekirei.

"Yes, Miya-tan?" She said hesitantly.

"You know my rule involving sexually elicit activities in Maison Izumo, don't you?" I could feel the subtle threat reverberating across the air.

Matsu paled and quickly put her head down.

I got back into a sitting position and looked over to my Sekirei: Yomi was at my side, giving Matsu a small glare while holding onto my sleeve. Toyotama was sitting against the back wall, not really looking at Matsu but more towards me, her gaze cryptic. Uzume was sitting across from me, next to Miya; she's known Matsu, from what I caught from her reaction to me winging her, so I could always go to her if I had any questions.

Miya sighed heavily, "While I am glad that you have chosen to leave your room, the circumstances could have been better." Shaking her head, she met my eyes, "Well, at least you have found an Ashikabi."

I exhaled through my nose, "As much as I appreciate the gesture, I'd love a warning." That warranted a confused look from all the Sekirei in the room. "It's not that I didn't want this to happen, it's just that I'd rather you know who you're connecting yourself to before you make such a drastic choice."

Toyotama scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean, Takeshi-kun?"

I pushed a hand through my hair, "What I'm saying is that I'd rather you know who you're going to be stuck with before you actually make the decision." I looked to each of them, gauging their responses.

Yomi grabbed my arm, "It's not a matter we choose of our own free will, Takeshi-sama. We don't consciously choose who our Ashikabi is; it's decided by our bodies. Our heart, soul, and body belong to our Ashikabi, our destined one." She leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder.

Uzume chuckled to herself. "You can talk a good game, Takeshi, but you're really clueless."

"You've got that right." Toyotama said smugly.

I rolled my eyes with a small smile. "Gee, thanks, girls."

A few minutes later, I was sitting inside of Matsu's partially-cramped room. Computer screens adorned the walls of almost the entirety of the room. On the floor was a futon that covered the floor; near the keyboard were several opened bags of potato chips. Matsu plopped down in front of her main computer and began typing away.

"So, uh, Matsu, was there any reason that you wanted to have me come to your room; aside from the obvious 'assault me when no one is around' tactic?"

She began laughing ominously, "You're more observant than I thought, Take-tan. Matsu wanted you in here for a few reasons; experimenting being one of them." Typing slowly, she went back to the screen of her main computer.

I arched an eyebrow; I crossed my legs and leaned back lightly, placing my hands behind me. "Okay, if that's one of your reasons, then what are the others?"

"Matsu wants to help you." She said matter-of-factly.

I blinked, "Help me with what? I'm not exactly trying to build a harem of badass Amazons to help me take over MBI."

Matsu paused, trying to come up with something to say. "That's oddly specific…"

I shrugged, "I'm a specific type of guy."

Matsu sighed and shook her head, "Anyway, Matsu overheard what you said last night, about making sure that every Sekirei you come across finds their destined one." She turned towards me, placing a hand onto her chest. "When you said, I felt as though my heart would burst out of my chest. Your words brought forth a reaction I had no idea would ever happen. It was… outside of my calculations." She bit her lip and quickly reached under one of her screens and pulled out a box.

When she held it out to me, I slowly took it and opened it. Inside the box were a set of earpieces. I took one out and held it. "When did you have the time to make these? I doubt you could make all of these within an hour."

Matsu paused and slowly adjusted her glasses. Chuckling nervously, she said, "Well, I, uh, have a friend who also, uh… Nevermind; just put it on. I figured it would be easier if we all remained in contact with each other. That way Matsu can give you much needed strategic data."

I held the earpiece and smirked. "Long distance communication _and_ an eye in the sky? This is beginning to sound too good to be true. What did you say your power was, Matsu?"

She smiled proudly and patted her chest. "Matsu is a brain-type Sekirei. Technology is my tool and weapon!"

A small chuckle escaped my lips. This was becoming too good to be true. I've already winged three combat-type Sekirei and now a brain-type. This Game was leaning more and more in my favor. "That's good… That's really good." I grinned darkly, ominously.

Matsu blinked, "Take-tan is something the matter?" After a few moments, she flinched away from me, a look of pure shock upon her face.

Surprised at her sudden reaction, I blinked. "Are you alright Matsu?"

Almost instantly, Matsu's look of shock vanished. Slowly releasing a breath, she adjusted her glasses. "That was…very strange to say the least."

I scrunched my eyebrows, confused, "What do you mean?"

Pausing, Matsu shook her head, "Nevermind. It's better if Take-tan doesn't know."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure." Placing the earpiece back into the box, I closed it and said, "Okay, is there anything else you need to tell me aside from that which must remain secret?"

My newest Sekirei paused, taken off balance by my words. "Um, well, I think you should know that I can hack into MBI's database with relative ease. That means information on Sekirei, Ashikabi, who's won, who's lost, and that includes MBI satellites."

"Even the Kill Sat?" I asked, intrigued.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'Kill Sat', Take-tan?"

I sighed, "You know, the satellite that MBI has? The one that has a laser that can annihilate anything in its path with the push of a button. Do you have control over that one?" I tried my hardest to rein in my excitement; the thought of having a satellite laser within my grasp was feeding my inner megalomaniac.

Matsu grinned, no doubt feeling proud of herself. "Yep, Matsu can. Why do you ask?"

I grinned evilly again, "Oh, one should always have the option of using a Kill Sat in their back pocket."

* * *

><p>I exited Matsu's little den and slid the door shut behind me. I had her do a little side project for me, a little research that's been of interest to me and this Game. Walking down the steps, I casually pushed a hand through my hair and looked around. Stepping around the corner and into the dining room, I saw that everyone else was grouped out in the courtyard.<p>

As I stepped out to the courtyard, I realized that Toyotama was sparring with Miya. It was then that I realized the difference in hers and Yomi's skill. Yomi was still inexperienced in combat, from what I saw, and made unnecessary movements. Toyotama seemed to be the exact opposite; she moved with utterly flawlessness, moving in and out of range of Miya's bokken, striking relentlessly with her staff.

Regardless of that, Miya still outclassed her in every way. While Miya lacked the reach that Toyotama had, our landlady moved faster than I could see. Of the two of them, Miya was the one who was mostly on the offensive, smacking away Toyotama's strikes as if they were nothing.

"You're not striking fast enough!" Miya said quickly.

Toyotama's face was strained as she tried to keep up with the landlady's impressive rate of movement. Jumping back, she retreated away from Miya and lunged forward, stabbing her staff into the ground. Flying forward, she threw her feet out in a missile kick.

Miya easily evaded with a step to the side. "Your side is open!" She swung her bokken, aiming at Toyotama's side.

Suddenly, there was a loud clang as her bokken met Toyotama's staff. A look of intense concentration was on my first Sekirei's face as she strained to push the attack back. Turning her body to the side, she used her leverage to knock the sword away. Effortlessly spinning her staff around her body, Toyotama instantly maneuvered her staff onto the opposite side of her body, striking at Miya's open flank.

The sound rang out again as staff collided with bokken. "Good transition! Now add a little more power." They then resumed a barrage of attacks towards each other.

"Toyotama is really good, isn't she?" Yomi said from her seat as she watched the spar.

"Yeah…" I said, feeling slightly breathless. Of course, I can attempt to fight a Sekirei, but there are things that are beyond me. The fight before me was definitely one of them. The two of moved faster than I could ever hope to achieve. In a fight like that, luck would only get me so far before the sheer difference in skill takes its toll.

"Heh, heh; you look like you're enjoying the fight, Takeshi." Uzume said with a light chuckle. "Though I don't want to fight Miya, I'm considering it, just so you can look at me like that."

Surprised, I turned to Uzume. "What do you mean? What look?" Walking over to my Sekirei, I took the open space between them as my own, sitting down.

"A look of awe and respect. When you were watching the spar a few seconds ago, you were simply watching in wonder." Uzume casually placed her hand next to mine.

I released a breath, "I'm a human, Uzume; I was trained by one of your kind, so I could hold my own. In spite of that, I will never be able to actually fight with you; I'm simply in awe of what I know I can never accomplish." I smirked and shook my head, "Though, I can guarantee that I'll be the only human ever to come close."

She smiled to herself, "I have to agree with you there. Not many people could have done what you did."

The spar between Toyotama and Miya continued for a few minutes longer before being stopped. My Sekirei looked positively exhausted as she walked over to the porch. Falling into her seat next to Yomi, she stabbed her staff into the ground and allowed her head to fall forward. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily; licking her lips, she looked over to me. "How did I do?"

I smiled widely, "I thought you did great, Toyotama. I can't wait to see more."

Toyotama returned my smile with a smirk, "I'll be sure to impress you even more next time." I could see a faint blush, though I wasn't sure if it was because of her exhaustion or what I said.

Yomi jumped up, "Hey, Takeshi-sama, why don't _you_ spar with Miya? You could show all of us what you've learned." She smiled up to me.

I blinked, slowly processing what Yomi proposed. "I'm sorry?"

She nodded quickly, "Yeah! I mean, you did say that you were trained by the Black Sekirei, right? I was thinking that it would be really cool if you sparred with Miya and maybe she could train you alongside all of us."

"I must admit, Hitomi-kun, that I am curious how skilled you really are." Miya said to me. She didn't look at all winded like Toyotama did; that in and of itself made me wonder just how powerful Miya really was.

I turned and faced Miya, "…I don't want to die, though…"

Uzume snorted, holding back laughter.

Toyotama let out a small laugh.

Yomi gave me a frustrated look, "You won't die, Takeshi-sama."

Miya placed a hand over her mouth, clearly holding back a laugh. "Don't worry, Hitomi-kun, I'll hold back."

I grimaced, they clearly underestimated me. "Okay, fine. I'll play along; just let me get my bokken." I turned around, only to see Yomi holding it out with both of her hands. I arched an eyebrow at her. "You were planning this, weren't you?"

Yomi smiled sheepishly, "Kinda…"

I released a breath and removed my jacket. Taking the wooden practice sword, I handed her my jacket. Walking out to the center of the courtyard, I spun my arm at the shoulder. "Give me a minute, I need to stretch."

Miya held out a welcoming hand. "Feel free." She loosely held her bokken in one hand to the side.

I jumped up and down, lightly to get the blood flowing. Throwing my bokken straight into the air, I jumped and flipped backwards, landing on my hands. Pushing my body up and down, I gave one final push, getting back to my feet. Throwing my hand out, I caught the bokken and spun it within my hand. Rolling my neck, I took a stance, closing my eyes. Position my feet waist length apart; I held the bokken in front of me with both hands firmly. Slowly opening my eyes, I focused solely on Miya. "Whenever you're ready, Asama-san."

Miya smiled lightly, taking her own stance. "Those eyes, Hitomi-kun; they remind me of her. They're not at all like your own; they're cold and calculating."

I clicked my tongue, keeping my body loose. "I have to warn you; I'm much better with the sword than hand-to-hand."

At that, Miya lunged forward; drawing her sword as she struck. Her bokken slid across the edge of mine, catching her off guard. I moved to the side solely on reflex and curved my bokken to the slide, allowing the swords to collide with the least amount of impact. Deftly twisting my wrists, I maneuvered away from Miya and slashed at her back.

She turned faster than I could see, slapping away my attack. I immediately followed up with a rapid barrage of strikes. Miya batted them away, following up with her own swift strike. I moved a hand to the center of the bokken and placed my palm there, blocking the attack. Using leverage to my advantage, I stepped inward and pushed up. Miya's strength prevented me from completing the movement, so I instead stepped into her defense and brought my bokken to the side. Slashing towards her stomach, I lunged forward.

Miya jumped back, slapping my bokken away. Following up with my attack, I reaffirmed my grip on the wooden sword and charged Miya. Slashing again, I watched as she slapped it away again. Using that attack to build momentum, I spun with it and slashed again, adding more force behind my next attack.

"You're too reckless!" Miya said as she evaded my attack.

I smirked as she side stepped me; slamming my lead foot onto the ground, I curved my heel into the dirt as I continued the arc of my slash, aiming at her midsection. "Sometimes the gamble is worth the effort…" I muttered.

Miya brought her bokken forward, stopping my slash with very little effort. The sound of wood impacting wood echoed throughout the air. I continued to push against her bokken as Miya held me in place. "You're too direct. It's easy to tell what you're going to do."

I released a breath, lowering the resistance against her. "I'm just getting started…" I jumped away from Miya and immediately lunged after her again. Drawing my sword, I slashed towards her. Miya deflected the slash and was immediately forced to deflect another one.

Using quick, concise movements, I assaulted Miya with a barrage of ruthless strikes with my bokken. She effortlessly blocked and deflected all of them, but she seemed surprised at the fact that I was able to keep her on the defensive. Keeping my distance, while at the same time stepping into her defenses, I was able to keep Miya on her toes.

The bad part was that I was starting to feel the strain. I was moving as fast as I could, hitting as hard as I could and trying to vary everything I did. I couldn't keep this up for long. So, I decided to end it right there.

Throwing two feints, I brought my sword down and slashed in an upwards arc. Miya evaded it effortlessly by leaning it to the side; I tightened my grip on my bokken and brought it downwards, using the combination gravity and my strength to increase the ferocity of my attack. Miya jumped back as my bokken tore through the air and ripped into the ground.

Pulling the bokken out of the ground, I flipped the bokken in my hand in order to regain the feeling in my hand. "What do you say we end this, Miya? One final strike?" I readied my bokken, holding it to the side.

Miya smiled lightly, "Feeling tired already?" She lifted her bokken, obliging me.

The two of us rushed each other. We reached one another within a few seconds. I slashed sideways and she slashed downwards.

Standing with out backs to each other, I waited for the outcome. My shirt was ripped open across the front and a clean line crack appeared along the lens of my glasses. I released a breath and dropped my arms to the sides. "Wow, Asama-san, you really got me." I turned to face my landlady. "This is the second shirt this week that's been torn." I chuckled lightly.

Miya placed a hand on her cheek and said, "I seem to have much to teach you as well, Hitomi-kun." At that, a breeze slowly came across the courtyard. A small hair flew from Miya's shoulder. She saw the hair and her eyes widened slowly.

I grinned, rubbing the back of my head. "I guess I still have a lot to learn." I turned to my Sekirei to see them staring at me with looks of pure shock on their faces. Toyotama was gripping her staff so tightly that her knuckles were white. Uzume was frozen completely, watching in awe. Yomi held my jacket up to her face, her eyes wide with surprise and wonder. "What?"

"Y-you…kept up…with Miya…" Uzume said, dumbfounded.

I cleared my throat, "Actually, she kept pace with me. I was the one who made it go as fast as it did. I had to; otherwise I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did." I looked over to Yomi and whistled to catch her attention. Holding the bokken out to her, I tossed it handle towards her, handle first.

Yomi barely managed to catch the wooden sword. "Takeshi-sama…how did you…?"

Before I could say anything, Toyotama said, "The Black Sekirei. He had to get that good if he wanted to survive." She was staring directly at me, though her eyes were heavy with something not at all wholesome.

I looked over to Miya and asked, "So, how did I do?" I was genuinely curious as to what she thought.

Miya paused for a moment, then nodded. "Well, you have talent, I'll say that, but your place isn't to fight."

I chuckled lightly, "I figured you'd say that." I shrugged, "Eh, I just wanted to know what you thought." I tried to start walking, but my legs refused to move. Trying to lift my leg, I staggered to the side and nearly fell over. Miya caught me before I pulled a face plant.

"You need to sit down." She said to me as my head swam.

I swallowed lightly, "Uh, yeah, I think so too." She helped me over to the porch, where Uzume and Yomi helped me into the spot between the two of them. As soon as I relaxed into the seat, my stomach growled loudly, protesting for food. It clearly orchestrated a strike with my legs to refuse working if I didn't get something to eat. "Well, I guess I could use a little snack."

Miya laughed lightly and said, "Well, I believe it is time for lunch."

* * *

><p>The next thing I know, I'm walking through a forest. Yeah, I'm confused too. I mean, the last thing I remember was eating Miya's delicious lunch and sitting on the patio. Now, here I am, walking aimlessly through this blasted forest. It seemed oddly surreal, too; like it wasn't really real.<p>

Sighing heavily, I shoved my hands in my pockets and started walking a random path. Feeling disgruntled at my forced appearance in some random-ass forest, I looked around the green foliage and wondered exactly why and how I managed up to end up here anyway.

As I walked, I couldn't help but hear the soft sound of crying. My funk was instantly washed away as my inner chivalric streak came to the forefront. It wasn't too loud, nor did it sound like the person was in any immediate danger. Regardless of that, my inner 'knight-in-shining-armor' was banging his shield and crying out to me to help them.

I stopped walking and tried to pinpoint the origin of the sobbing. It was a child, which I knew for certain was true. Closing my eyes, I strained my hearing to find the child. Opening my eyes, I started walking quickly; keeping alert to make sure I could more easily find the child.

Stepping out into a clearing, I saw a single tree in the center. The child was sitting on one of the higher branches of the tree, leaning into the tree itself. From where I stood, I could see her long, shaggy blonde hair. She was shaking in her perch, crying lightly to herself. I immediately felt a surge of anger race throughout my body. Someone had done this to her, somebody had hurt this little girl, this defenseless child.

Releasing a silent breath, I calmed myself down. Getting angry wouldn't help her at all; it would only serve to get me fired up. Feeling my anger reach a manageable level, I slowly approached the tree.

As I approached the tree, I cleared my throat. "Hey, there. Are you okay?"

The girl froze, slowly turning to face me.

I smiled softly, lifting my hands. "I'm not going to hurt you." I paused and cocked my head to the side. "Are you okay? Do you want onii-chan to help you down?"

The girl blinked and smiled at my offer of help. Nodding her head, she climbed towards the edge of the branch. Hesitating lightly, she looked down to the ground.

I extended my arms and said, "Don't worry, onii-chan won't let anything hurt you." I smiled towards her, reassuring the girl.

She sucked in a breath and leapt from the tree. Falling into my extended arms, she nearly caused me to fall over. I had to take a few solid steps back to assure my balance.

Cradling her gently, I reached up and lightly wiped a tear from her cheek. "Hey, it's alright now." I said soothingly. "You don't need to cry anymore." Placing her on the ground, I allowed her to stand as I crouched to look her in the eye. "I'm Takeshi, what's your name?"

She wiped her eye with the heel of her hand. "Ku-Kusano…"

"Kuu, huh? That's a cute name." That elicited a smile and giggle from Kuu. "Say?" I asked her. "What were you doing in the tree?"

Kuu bit her lip and pouted, "Takami-onee-chan said it wasn't a good idea to go outside, but Kuu was selfish and wanted to go for a walk." I could see her eyes watering lightly.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. You don't need to cry; it wasn't your fault." I placed a hand onto her cheek and grinned at her. "Do you want to tell onii-chan what happened next?"

"Well… when we coming back, Takami-onee-chan and Kuu were attacked. A mean nee-san with a really big blade cut Takami-onee-chan and pushed her away." Her lower lip quivered as she was about to begin crying. Shaking her head, she continued, "Then the mean boy tried to wing Kuu."

It took every ounce of self-control to not ask Kuu where this boy was and hunt him down. I wanted to find that heartless little bastard and beat him within an inch of his life, just to teach him a little respect. The hand I didn't have near Kuu was off to the side, clenched tightly to the point of my knuckles turning white. "You're still okay, right?" I asked her; if she said no, then I would have blood on my hands.

She nodded, "Yes. Kuu lost control of her power and everything went crazy."

I blinked, surprised, "This isn't real?"

Kuu looked at me, shaking her head lightly. "Kuu called you for help… I'm scared onii-chan." Her lip quivered.

I could barely contain myself. I wanted to pull Kuu into my arms and continually tell her that everything would be okay; tell her that I would never let her get hurt by anyone else. I placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, smiling lightly. "I'll come and get you, Kuu. Don't be afraid, because Takeshi-onii-chan will protect you. I will never let anyone hurt you, do you understand?"

Kuu looked up to me with a smile, then she was suddenly being pulled away by an unseen force. She reached for me frantically, "Onii-chan, save me!"

I reached for her, trying to pull her back.

* * *

><p>My eyes snapped open as I looked around the courtyard. Pushing myself up, I paced around the yard. Casually pushing my hand through my hair, I tried to find out ways to locate Kusano. "I could ask Matsu to try and find her with the Sekirei database." Nodding my head, I turned and started walking towards Maison Izumo, when I felt a chill race up my spine.<p>

Turning around, I took notice of the tree that stood at the edge of the courtyard. It reminded me greatly of the tree from my vision, not because of the fact that it was also a tree. It felt similar, like it was calling out to me. Approaching the tree, I extended my hand and placed it on the tree.

As soon as I did, I was assaulted by the image of Kusano hiding in the undergrowth of a rather large tree, covered in dirt and quivering in free. "Onii-chan…"

I turned away from the tree and left the courtyard. Walking inside the inn, I walked quickly through the dining room and towards the front door.

"Takeshi, where are you heading?" Uzume took a step off of the stairs.

"Out." Was my concise reply.

Confused, Uzume approached me and asked; "Are you o-" She froze when she saw the look in my eyes.

Someone was hurting a young child; regardless of the fact that she was a Sekirei, no one has the right to cause such a reaction within her. Whoever was doing this to her deserved to be suffering in the deepest reaches of hell; that would be a mercy to what I would do to him. The fear I saw in Kusano's eyes was something no child should ever go through. If he was anywhere near Kuu, then I would make him suffer exponentially for every moment Kuu suffered. I was beyond shaking rage; my rage was focused, tranquil. I was ready…ready to kill.

"I'm going out." I replied curtly as I slid on my shoes.

"Where?" Uzume asked silently as she grabbed my hand; I hadn't noticed it until then, but my hand was clenched tightly, the knuckles pure white.

I paused, not knowing where to start. Wherever she was, Kuu was hiding in a place where there be a high concentration of lush forestry. There weren't many places like that in the capital, so the options were few. I'd start at the closest places and go from there. Even with that plan, I still had no set destination in place.

"I don't know yet."

Then my phone went off. Pulling it out, I realized that I had a text from the CEO of MBI, Hiroto Minaka. Flipping it open, I read the text. Over time, I could feel my anger growing, festering under the layer of self-control I had placed over it. The text said something along the lines of, 'The Green Girl is up for grabs. At the Arboretum; first come, first served.'

I couldn't restrain a frustrated growl as I dropped my phone and pulled my hand from Uzume's grasp. "I'm going to play hero." Opening the door, I raced away, my legs carrying me faster than I thought they could carry me. Racing down the streets, I headed towards the Arboretum. Everything faded out from my periphery; my thoughts were focused on a single thing: getting to Kuu before anyone else could touch a hair on her head.

They say the fastest path towards your destination is a straight line; well, I took that at face value. I was heading in a purely straight line, disregarding everything that stood in place. If I could knock it over, I would; if I could climb over it, I would; if I could break through it, I would. My agility was my best friend at this point, my long legs allowing me to cover long distances in no time flat; it allowed me to scale fences as if they simply step ladders. My training was coming out and showing itself in its complexity and simplicity.

Throwing my hands up, I caught an overhanging tree branch and pulled myself up and over a tall fence, evading a crazed dog. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I continued my run. I could feel the adrenaline surging through my body, fueling my rage and my body. Lengthening my stride, I loped across the street, bypassing several pedestrians who were unlucky enough to get caught in my wake.

Seeing a wall that was high for me to simply jump over, I leapt to the side and kicked off the wall, jumping to the wall on the opposite side of the alley and leapt off of that one. Getting over the wall, I crashed onto the ground in a roll, continuing my run unobstructed.

Within a few minutes, I could see the Arboretum. The overgrown expanse of plants could easily be seen from a few yards away. Racing towards the wall, planted a foot onto the wall and partially ran up the wall, throwing my hand towards the top and pulled myself over the top of the wall. Racing through the expanse of trees, I come upon a trio of people. Two of which, I recognized immediately: the lightning twins. The third was a taller man with short, shaggy black hair; he wore a dark brown jacket with a white shirt underneath and a pair of blue jeans.

The three of them turned and faced me. One of the twins, Hikari, pointed to me and cried, "That's him, Seo; the guy who fought us when we tried to eliminate the staff Sekirei!"

Seo arched an eyebrow, "Him? Really, Hikari; doesn't he look a little scrawny?"

I snorted, "I'll show you scrawny." Cracking my knuckles, I looked straight to their Ashikabi, I suppose, and said, "Before either of us go any farther, do you have any Sekirei that uses a giant blade?"

Seo chuckled, shaking his head. "Does it look like either of these girls use a blade? No, these are my only Sekirei." He looked to the side and muttered something, which elicited a glare from one of the twins.

I closed my eyes and released a breath, "Good, that means I won't have to beat you half to death." Opening my eyes, I glared at him, "Now tell me, are you here for Kuu?"

My comment caught his attention. "You? Beat me half to death?" He let out a bark of laughter. "I'd like to see that."

I clenched my fist angrily, "Just answer the damn question. I don't have time for your mindless chatter."

He glared at me, "I don't know who you're talking about. What the hell is a 'Kuu'?"

I snarled, "The Green Girl, you dumbass!"

Seo narrowed his eyes, "I'm here to make sure she's not taken away freaks that have a thing for forcing themselves on Sekirei."

I could feel my hand slowly unclench. Releasing a steady breath, I tried to level my voice. "I'm not here to force myself on anyone. I'm here to save the girl who's called me for help." I steadied a glare in his direction. "When someone asks for my help, I give my full cooperation; if anyone gets in my way, they have a tendency to get hurt." I slid my foot across the ground, preparing myself.

Seo narrowed his eyes, "How do I know you're not lying?"

I met his glare with one of my own, "She told me herself. I'll say this only once: get out of my way or I'll move you myself. I'll help Kuu regardless of whether you want me to or not."

Seo paused for a moment, the stepped to the side. "Go on; but if you're lying then I'll make you regret it."

Hibiki looked at Seo incredulously. "You're just going to let him pass?"

Hikari placed a calming on her twins shoulder. "Hibiki, he can't be that bad; after all, he is Uzume's Ashikabi."

I raced by the three of them, nodding my thanks towards Seo. Heading through the forest as fast as I possibly could, I reached a clearing and came to a screeching stop. As I did, I noticed a pair of Sekirei who looked exactly alike; they both wore the yellow and black leotard. One carried a whip, while I couldn't see what the second one wore.

At my side, I heard the rustle of leaves and branches. Glancing to the side, I saw the 7 foot tall giant from earlier was standing at my side, also looking to the clearing. That's when the two of us met eyes; in an instant of understanding, we nodded and he stepped out first. One of the twins turned and pointed to the giant.

"Hey! What're you doing here?" She looked over to the other Sekirei, "Mitsuki, you take care of 108 while I deal with the Jolly Green Giant."

The giant groaned, brushing stray leaves from his shoulders. "I get that way too often…"

The Sekirei reached behind her and grabbed her whip; throwing it forward, she aimed at the giant. The edge of the whip wrapped around the giant's hand as he casually lifted it. He simply looked at the whip as he slowly wrapped his fingers around it. The Sekirei tugged at it, to no avail. The giant simply lifted a single finger and waved it back and forth in the 'uh-uh-uuuh' motion. He then pulled the whip towards him and threw it to the side, catching the Sekirei off guard. She stumbled forward and lost her balance. The giant then whipped her to the side, throwing her into the underbrush and she crashed into a tree trunk with a thud. He then casually followed her into the brush, the whip still wrapped around his hand.

That happened while I acted on my own. As I raced after the second Sekirei, Mitsuki, I jumped into the air. Spinning, I threw out a kick, striking her in the back of the neck. As she stumbled forward, I landed on the ground and whipped around, throwing my fist forwards. It collided with her throat, lifting her into the air and away from the opening.

After that, I immediately turned and entered the opening into the tree cave. "Kuu? Are you there?"

I heard the scuffle of feet as I saw her come around a bend. Dressed in her off-white dress, with a bow in the back, she stared up at me with her wide, leaf-green eyes. "Onii-chan?"

I crouched and held my arms out, "The one and only." I said with a smile.

A beaming smiled appeared on her face as she ran into my arms. She looked like her entire world was brought back into place. To feel this happy about seeing someone, regardless of the fact that I was meant to be her Ashikabi, is something that shouldn't even be considered.

Behind me, I heard a groan, followed by an enraged growl. "What do you think you're doing? She belongs to my Master!"

I placed a hand on Kuu's head. "Why don't you close your eyes for a moment? Onii-chan will get rid of the bad guy, okay?"

Kuu nodded quickly, "Okay, onii-chan!" She covered her eyes.

I blinked back tears as I stood. Turning, I glared at Mitsuki and growled darkly. "I'm here to make sure that Kuu finds her home and that she doesn't fall into the hands of a heartless _bitch_ like you and monster like your Ashikabi. Next time you want to torment a child, make sure you do so when her onii-chan isn't around!" I raced towards her and leapt forward.

Mitsuki threw something towards me, but I lifted my arm to block whatever it was. I faintly felt something wrap around my left arm as I slammed my fist into her jaw. Causing her to fall back, I followed her descent and landed on top of her. Rearing back my fist, I threw it forward and connected it with her nose, breaking it. She pushed me away from her and got to her feet.

I planted my hands on the ground and threw my foot out, crashing it into her stomach; followed up with a second kick to the side of her knee. Pushing away from her, I lunged forward and threw an uppercut with my left fist. The punch connected flawless, lifting her a few inches off the ground as she fell back to the ground, not moving.

I released a breath and checked my hands. My right knuckle throbbed lightly and was lightly covered with blood. Wiping the blood from my hand, I walked back to Kuu. Getting back to her, I said soothingly, "It's okay, Kuu, you can open your eyes now."

She did and immediately raced into my arms. "Kuu was so scared, onii-chan, but she knew you'd get here in time." She buried her face in my chest.

I breathed heavily, rubbing her back. "It's okay, Kuu. Once I get us out of here, I can introduce you to some friends."

She looked up to me with her wide eyes, "Are they nice, friends?"

I grinned, lightly ruffling her hair, "Of course; they are my friends after all." I tapped her on the nose, "Then they'll be your friends."

Kuu laughed lightly, burying her face into my chest.

That was when I felt an intense pain in my left arm, causing me to cry out in pain. It felt as if something was burning and slicing its way through my skin. I felt it lift from the ground against my will. I gritted my teeth to hold back another scream. Slowly turning, I saw Mitsuki standing a few feet away from me, holding her hand up. She grinned evilly, her mouth lightly covered in blood from the broken nose I'd given her.

"Feisty, aren't you?" She reached forward and grabbed whatever was in her hand. The light in the sky revealed a hair thin wire. "This here, Ashikabi-san, is a special wire from MBI. It's completely indestructible; it can't be torn, ripped, or cut. It's the perfect tool for dealing with nuisances like you." She grinned evilly as she lightly tugged the wire, eliciting a cry of pain from me.

I grimaced, gritting my teeth painfully. I gently pushed Kuu away. "Stay back; Kuu. Onii-chan will handle this." I sucked in a pained breath as the wire cut into my skin.

Kuu looked from my face to my arm. Racing to my arm, she grabbed at the wire and tried to pull it off of me. "Get off my onii-chan!"

"Kuu, NO!" I yelled at her, but it was too late.

Mitsuki walked up, making sure to keep a tight hold on the wire, and slapped Kuu aside. "I'm sure Master won't be too disappointed in me if I bring you in a little bruised."

As I watched that happen, I felt the dam holding back my anger give way. "You bitch!" Ignoring the pain, the wire tearing into my arm, I twisted around and jammed my thumb into her eye. She stumbled back, holding her hand over her eye. As I forced myself to my feet, I saw a body fly back into the clearing from the forests. Walking ominously from within the trees, the giant stepped back into the clearing.

He looked to me, then to Mitsuki. Before he could say or do anything, I grounded out, "Don't do a thing; this bitch is _mine_." I twisted my left arm around and grabbed hold of the wire. Grinning, I growled, "It works both ways." Pulling the wire, I forced her to come to me. Reaching forward, I grabbed her by the top of her head and pushed it down; at the same time, I threw my knee forward.

Mitsuki dodged to the side and slipped behind me. Wrapping the wire around my waist, she rolled away from me and threw another length wire into the air and hooked it around my neck. "Who's whose, _bitch_?"

I tried to turn around, to duck, to evade the wire, but it caught me. I'm stuck; no one can help me. _Shit, I'm a dead man…_

"NO!" I heard a very familiar voice cry out as the slack from the wires vanished. The wire fell from my waist and neck. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my scythe Sekirei standing defensively in front of me. "How dare you try and hurt my Ashikabi?" Yomi growled out.

Mitsuki met her eyes incredulously, "He attacked me!"

"I don't care!" Yomi cried out. Spinning her scythe, she glared at Mitsuki. "I'm Number 43 Yomi. Prepare to meet the chopping block." The light flashed across the blade of the scythe.

I blinked, removing the wire from my arm. _That was…badass._

"Number 39 Mitsuki." She held out her wire and prepared for a fight. I was _not_ having that. There was going to be a slaughter.

I stood and cleared my throat. "Yomi." I called her name.

She quickly looked over to me, still making sure to keep Mitsuki within her periphery. "Yes, Takeshi-sama."

I looked in her eyes, "Make sure you use your Norito. Finish it quickly." I placed my lips onto hers, causing her wings to erupt to life. Breaking away from her, I hurried to Kuu.

Yomi closed her eyes and turned to face Mitsuki. "By the Scythe of my Pact, Behead the Woes of my Ashikabi." Her eyes shot open and she brought her scythe back; the blade shone brightly, engulfed in a red light. Slashing forward, the red light flew from the blade and exploded into a burst of light, blinding everyone in the clearing.

When the light died out, Mitsuki blinked slowly. Suddenly, several cuts exploded over her body, sending blood flying everywhere. Collapsing to her knees, she opened her mouth and whispered something, then fell to the ground.

I stood, holding an unconscious Kuu in my arms. Looking coldly down to the body of Mitsuki, I shook my head. I didn't hear the name of her Ashikabi, but I know her name. That'll be enough for Matsu to figure out who the Ashikabi is.

Yomi approached the fallen Sekirei and stood above her. Looking down to the unmoving body, she blinked slowly. A glistening tear fell down her cheek as she kept a vigil watch over her fallen sister Sekirei.

I approached her and placed a calming hand on her shoulder, holding back a grimace as my arm screamed in pain. "You did what you had to do. There wasn't another way for this to work. Someone had to-"

"I know…" Yomi cut me off.

I bit my lip, knowing when to shut up. Pausing for a few moments, I leaned and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you." That surprised her, causing her to face me. I smiled lightly and placed my forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I wasn't going to make it if you didn't arrive when you did. You saved my life, Yomi, and for that I thank you." I hefted the sleeping Kuu on my arm. "You also saved Kuu, here. We owe you, Yomi." I placed my free hand on her cheek, "I owe you. If there is anything I can do to repay you, all you have to do is ask. Okay?"

Yomi looked to me, a luminescent blush on her face. Looking away sheepishly, she pushed a stray hair from her face. "It wasn't all me, you know that? Uzume found your phone and showed the rest of us the text. Matsu told all of us a shortcut here."

I smiled lightly, "Regardless, it was you who saved us, Yomi."

The sound of a helicopter coming closer interrupted the two of us. Looking up, I noticed a single heli coming towards us. Yomi grabbed her scythe and began walking away, grabbing my hand on the way. "C'mon, let's get back to Maison Izumo."

I grimaced lightly when she took hold of my hand. Following her, I couldn't help but see the heli coming closer and closer. As it did, my anger began to come flooding back. All of this was the fault of a single man; the man who drew those Sekirei here. One thing was for certain, before this day was over, I'd give that prick some harsh words.

As we left the clearing and made our way back to the entrance of the Arboretum, I heard the rustle and crash of leaves and branches as Toyotama and Uzume came crashing out from the trees, both clad in their battle attires.

"I told you that going around the long way would get us nowhere." Uzume said, sounding slightly frustrated.

"And _I_ told _you_ that if we snuck around the bend and ambushed them, then our chances of winning would be better." Toyotama retorted testily.

Uzume snorted, "I'm all for fighting to win, but is there ever a time where you'd want to actually fight fair?"

Toyotama paused, then smirked, "Nope."

Before they could continue their quarrel, I interjected, "Will the two of you please stop arguing? It's over, which means you can relax." The two of them immediately turned towards me, each giving me a glare that could burn through steel.

"Relax?" Uzume said heatedly. "Did you think we could relax when you raced out the door and went here? Did you think we could relax when you decided to go and fight on your own?"

Toyotama stepped up to her side, "You're not meant to fight, Takeshi-kun. I don't care what sort of complex you have about letting others fight for you, but that's what we're meant to do. You're meant to sit in the back and let us do what we were born to do." Her cold eyes bore into mine, emphasizing her point.

Yomi squeezed my hand. "Please don't that again, Takeshi-sama. You nearly died when you fought Number 39 and I don't ever want to see you in that position again. I don't want to see my precious person in danger again." She met my eyes with her own; the sheer sincerity behind her words was enough to make me feel like I had kicked a puppy.

I released a breath, giving in. "Fine. I won't do it again. I'm sorry, all of you."

Nodding her head, Uzume crossed her arms and gave me a skeptical look. "I believe you, Takeshi; for future reference, if you want to run out and play hero, then just ask us and we'll help you."

Toyotama simply nodded, pushing a tired through her hair. As she did that, she saw my arm. The wire had tore its way through the skin and left a set of painful abrasions that stung when I flexed my arm. "What happened to you arm?" She asked quietly, her soft voice full of a hidden rage.

That brought it to the attention of my other two Sekirei. "The Sekirei that I had to deal with was a wire-user. I guess, during our fight, she wrapped a good bit of it around my arm. If it wasn't for the wire, I'm sure I could've gotten away before it got too bad."

Toyotama looked over to Yomi, "You defeated her, right?"

Yomi nodded lightly, her eyes sharp.

"Good. I wouldn't let anyone who hurt my Ashikabi get off easily. No matter how dumb a mistake he made." Toyotama's voice was harsh.

I released a breath and pulled my arm away from Yomi. "Let's just get back. There's something I need to do before I get back to Maison Izumo." I looked over to Toyotama and nodded. Holding Kuu out to Uzume, I said, "I need to go to MBI for a little."

"For what?" She asked.

"There are some words I need to have with the CEO." I growled under my breath.

Uzume caught the meaning behind my words and held out her arms, taking Kuu from my arms. "Do you need one of us to go with you?"

Toyotama stepped to my side. "I'll be going with him. Don't worry, either; he's not leaving my sight." She glared at me from the corner of her eye.

I looked from Uzume to Yomi and said, "Make sure you get to Maison Izumo safely. There are still some enemy Ashikabi and Sekirei around."

The two of them nodded slowly.

"Also, make sure Kuu knows she's safe and tell her that I'll be right back." I looked over to Yomi and smiled lightly, "Don't let her see your scythe, Yomi. It's not exactly the most welcoming image for a scared, waking child." She smiled lightly and nodded. I wrapped my good arm around Toyotama and said, "We'll be back in no time."

At that, Toyotama leapt into the air, heading directly towards MBI.

* * *

><p>Moments later…<p>

"You can't go out there!" A small team of security guards raced towards me, trying to impede my path.

"Like I hell I can't." I threw out a foot in a vicious side kick, striking one of the guards in the gut, knocking him to the ground.

Toyotama held out her staff, stopping the rest of them. They tried to push passed it, but a swift glare from her silenced all of them.

I stomped forward and lifted my foot, kicking the doors to the extended balcony out of place. As I did so, I cried out, "Minaka, you crazy son of a bitch! What gives you the right to just decide who can wing a child?"

Minaka simply laughed, the wind blowing his overdone cape dramatically. He turned and faced me, "Takeshi-kun, I am the Game Master. I am simply trying to make the game more exciting for all the players."

I snarled at him, "'Exciting'? You call putting the safety of an innocent child in jeopardy a way to make things more exciting?" Slowly stalking towards the titanic moron, I growled, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

He simply laughed, "The Game has hardly even begun, Takeshi-kun. You can't lose your head this early." His eyes locked with mine as he continued, "Do you not understand what is being done? I'm going to give any lucky winner of this Game a chance to b-"

I stepped up to Minaka and grabbed him his collar. Getting nose to nose, I bared my teeth and growled, "I don't give a flying _fuck_ about what you're planning to do. I just want to know if you're going to do anything like this again."

He didn't seem put off at all by my sudden verbal threat. Instead, he laughed to the sky, "Oh, Takeshi-kun, I wouldn't be a very good Game Master if I told one of the players what I was planning to do."

I growled, frustrated and pushed myself away from him. Placing my hands on my head, I roared in sheer frustration. Pacing around the balcony, I muttered angrily to myself, debating on whether or not it would be a good idea to just kick his annoying ass off of the building and be done with it. "You know, you're making it real easy for me to make a certain decision right now."

Minaka simply smiled, "Oh? What would that decision be?"

I stopped pacing and glared at him, "On whether or not I should stay with the Discipline Squad."

He clapped his hands, "Of course you should! Having such a powerful member on the team would kee-" He was interrupted by my shoe colliding with him face.

"Will you please shut the hell up?" I hefted my second shoe, preparing for another throw just in case.

Minaka lightly rubbed his face, chuckling lightly. "Ah, I can see the resemblance to your mother, Takeshi-kun. She too has a tendency of throwing things at me."

I dropped my shoe and approached him menacingly. "You just don't know when to shut up, do you?" I stopped a few feet away from him. "You know, for a 'genius', you're pretty stupid. You're going to piss off a large percent of an alien species that is by far more powerful than you are; you stand at the edge of a balcony and scream like you're the village idiot; truthfully, everything you've done has painted an extremely large target on your back for people taking part in this game." I paused, staring him directly in the eye. "How does that make you feel?"

He simply grinned, "That everything I've done is meant for a greater purpose."

I groaned, palming my face. "You are the densest person I've had the displeasure of knowing." Throwing my hands into the air, I cried out, "I'm done! I'm done with trying to talk sense in the psychopath running this company." Shaking my head, I simply said, "You know what, I quit."

I heard no response, save for a small thump.

"No response? Eh, I finally trumped you, huh? Well, I'll give you one last thing: my Letter. Of. Resignation!" I jumped and twisted mid-air, throwing a back kick.

Which promptly struck air before it was caught my an unknown hand. "What the hell?" I felt the person drop my foot as I righted myself. Seeing the perpetrator, I realized it was the giant from before. He was seven foot tall, easily, with a military crew cut. He was also ripped with muscle.

I looked around, not seeing the CEO at all. Looking to the giant, I asked, "You kicked him off, didn't you?"

"Yeah." He said, sounding bored. Looking over the edge, he muttered, "Eh, he hit the mattress on the twenty-seventh floor."

I blinked again, "You just kicked him off…"

"So? That was my letter of resignation, too." He simply shrugged.

I paused and extended my hand, "Great minds think alike; the name's Takeshi Hitomi."

He took my hand and shook in return. "Name's Akira Oshiro."

* * *

><p>Moments later…<p>

Toyotama and I returned to Maison Izumo, walking around the bend towards the front door. As I did, I noticed a black, stretch limo parked in front of the inn. "Hmm, I wonder what this is for."

Kagari strode out of the house, dressed in a nice suit. "Hello, Hitomi, Toyotama; what were the two of you up to while the others came back?" He asked with a grin.

I waved my hand, "Nothing like that. I had some business I needed to take care of and she didn't want me going off on my own again." I arched an eyebrow at his rather expensive looking suit, "Speaking of which, what are you up to?"

He smoothed out his suit. "I've got an appointment at the club. I'm number one after all."

I snorted, smiling lightly. "Yeah." As we walked passed one another, I lifted a hand and said, "Good talking to you, Kagari."

"You too." He called to me.

Toyotama and I stepped inside and I was instantly assaulted by a tackled at my legs. I looked down to notice a blob of shaggy blonde hair. "Kuu." I smiled lightly as I ruffled her hair.

"Onii-chan! You disappeared." She looked up to me with a pout.

I smiled as I looked down to her, "I'm sorry, I had something important to do." I leaned down and peeled her off my legs. "What do you say we sit out on the porch and watch the stars? They are pretty this time of night."

Within a few moments, I was sitting on the porch with Kuu. I was leaning back, casually looking up to the night sky. Kuu, on the other hand, was sitting down, facing me. On my left was Miya, who was applying the bandages to my left arm. "Hey, Kuu?"

"Yes, onii-chan?" She answered lightly.

"I was sitting right here when I had the vision of you. The one where you were in a tree." I looked over to her, she nodded lightly. "When you told me you needed help, I ran right over."

"You also gave your girls a massive heart attack, Hitomi-kun." Miya spoke nonchalantly.

I grimaced, "Yeah, I know I did."

Kuu brought a hand to her mouth. "Onii-chan…I was really scared." I looked over to her and placed a hand on her head. She smiled at that. "But, when Kuu saw you, Kuu knew she would be safe." She bit her lip and stood slowly. "Onii-chan, I have a question."

I arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Will you be Kuu's Ashikabi?" She leaned over to me and placed her small hands on either of my cheeks and placed her lips onto mine.

I froze instantly at the kiss. I could easily see the light erupt from her back as her wings grew to life. The light extended outwards, reaching over the courtyard and engulfing the plant life. Everywhere the light reached, plant life flourished beautifully.

"Oh, my." Miya said softly as she witnessed the growth of the plants.

I blinked slowly, in a surprised stupor.

"Onii-chan, I have another question."

I blinked again, feeling apprehensive of what this one could be. "Yes?"

"What does 'bitch' mean?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, I could feel a demonic aura rolling off of the landlady as she applied my bandages behind me. "Hitomi-kun…what have you talking about in front such a young child?"

I now know what it feels to be assaulted by a kitchen implement. I'll never look at that ladle the same ever again.


	8. The Fist

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, it's been a while since I last updated. I've had to write so many papers as of late, I haven't had the time to actually continue writing this. Not to worry, though, it hasn't left my imagination. The idea I have for the story as a whole is in process. _

_Truthfully, these few chapters, and the next ones, are setting the stage for a development I'm planning later on that will shake each and every one of the characters. Well… except for Homura/Kagari, he's kind of in his own little world right now. _

_Anyway, read/review/enjoy/etc…_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Eight

The Fist

"I've got you, Takeshi. So you can stop screaming." I slowly felt the cloth I held onto being pulled up and over the edge of the building.

As soon as I fully on the roof of the building, I lifted my hands and cried out. "Yes! I'm on flat ground." I thankfully rubbed the concrete roof.

"Uh, Takeshi…" I heard Uzume wonder out loud.

Jumping up, I casually rubbed my hand on my chest. "Uh, yeah, thanks for that."

She arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Can we get going?"

I nodded and approached her, "Um, yeah." I paused as I wrapped my arm around her waist, "Can we, uh, forgot that ever happened?"

Uzume grinned and chuckled, "Maybe, for a price…"

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Fine, just catch up with the others." At that, Uzume leapt from the rooftop and towards the next. Using my free hand, I reached up and tapped my earpiece three times. "Okay, this is meant to get to everyone. Uzume and I will be a bit late. When you arrive at the rendezvous point, locate the target and engage the Sekirei trying to capture her."

I heard a groan, "Takeshi-kun, I told you 'cloth-surfing' was a bad idea." Toyotama felt the need to rain on my parade. "Having an 'epic entrance' will not make any considerable difference in this."

"Well, I thought it was kinda unique…" Yomi whispered into the earpiece.

I sighed, "Yomi…"

She chuckled lightly, "But it was still kind of stupid."

"Thank you." I replied with a smile. "Sucking up to your Ashikabi will get you nowhere. You're all equally great in my eyes."

"Take-tan!" Matsu interrupted me. "You're closing in on the target. Get ready!"

"Gotcha." I nodded my response.

"Onii-chan! Good luck!" I heard Kuu cry out in the background of Matsu's channel.

I grinned lightly, "Matsu, tell Kuu I said, 'thanks'."

She relayed my message as my group reached the rendezvous point. "Okay, everyone, when you get into position tell me. I'll personally start the operation. This will be our first attempt at Operation Fate." I grinned widely as I spoke the name.

Akira groaned audibly, "That is undeniably cheesy."

I grunted stubbornly. "It was voted to be the name of the operation, fair and square."

"I wouldn't say that, considering it was you and your Sekirei who voted on this. My Sekirei and I didn't even know there was going to be a vote." Akira grumbled in a monotone.

That brought upon a pause. "It was a meeting at the inn. You don't live in Maison Izumo, so you weren't involved."

He groaned audibly.

Toyotama cut in, "Okay, you two, stop bickering. We're closing in on the target."

Uzume squeezed me gently to get my attention. "We're getting close, Takeshi."

I nodded to her. Within a few minutes, the both of us landed on the roof of another building. I stepped away from her and walked to the edge. Looking over the edge, I could see a group of individuals. There were a collection of people surrounding a single person. "They must be the Sekirei." I looked around the area in general.

"I'm in place, Takeshi-sama." Yomi said.

"So am I." Toyotama whispered.

"Ditto." Akira muttered.

I narrowed my eyes and focused on the group down below. It was difficult to distinguish what each Sekirei looked like from so far, but I could faintly see who was pursuing who. There were four opposing Sekirei and a lone target, the one we were going to rescue. I focused on her, then promptly froze in shock.

"No… It can't be…" I said, visibly shaken.

Uzume stepped up to my side, "Takeshi, are you okay?"

"Takeshi-kun, what's wrong?"

"Takeshi-sama?"

"Kid, do you want us to go in or not?"

I shuddered lightly, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. "It can't be…they told me she died…"

"Kid! Takeshi! They're going to capture her if we don't do anything…" Akira paused and grunted, "Dammit, he's choked. Everyone, get a move on; I'll look for the Ashikabi."

Uzume lightly took hold of my shoulder and shook me, to no avail. "Takeshi, what's wrong?"

My eyes widened as I gasped again. The Sekirei who was being chased was frighteningly familiar. She wore a Shrine Maiden-like outfit with a too short skirt and a white top with sleeves that flapped around with the smallest movement. The pink obi around her waist emphasized her large chest and her small waist. She wore a pair of white, thigh-high stockings and a pair of boots; covering her hands were a pair of red gloves. Her dark brown hair was long in the back, tied into a long ponytail and had a set of bangs in the front which fell just above her wide brown eyes. A single clump of hair stuck out above her head.

"Yume…?"

* * *

><p>Ten days earlier…<p>

I rose from unconsciousness feeling constrained and held in place. Opening my eyes, I couldn't help but release a breath. Once again, I was not the only one sleeping on my own futon. Apparently, I've become the go to place for a goodnights rest.

On my right, Toyotama was holding onto my arm like a security blanket, making sure she had a tight hold onto my arm. Her face seemed so calm, what with her head also lying on the very same pillow mine was.

On my left, Yomi had once again managed to get herself held against me by my very own arm. Her head was lying on my shoulder; at the same time, one of her arms was casually thrown across my waist,

Now here is where things get complicated: three individuals, count them, three individuals were lying directly on my and stomach. Uzume was on my 'inner' right, as I called it, in front of Toyotama, if lower than her by a little bit; her legs were also wrapped around my waist. Her head was lying on the right edge of chest, breathing lightly. Matsu was on my 'inner' left, in front of, if below, Yomi and facing Uzume. Kuu was lying in between the two of them, perfectly ensconced.

I smacked my lips, looking around my room. One simple fact was clear; I was utterly trapped underneath the pile of my Sekirei. Releasing a slow breath, I heard a faint groan from one of the bodies lying on my chest. I tried to see who it was, but the obstacle of my numerous Sekirei proved to be insurmountable.

Suddenly, a head of dark blonde hair slowly came up. Kuu rubbed her eye with a single fist as she tried to fully awaken.

I smiled up to her, "Hey, Kuu. Did you sleep well?"

She returned my smile with one of her own. Nodding, she said, "Yeah, Kuu slept really well in onii-chan's room."

I arched an eyebrow, "Didn't Asama-san say for you to sleep in her room?" I gave her a reproachful look.

Kuu pouted, "I know, but I don't like staying in Miya-onee-chan's room." She puffed out her lower lip.

I felt the urge to put my hand on her head, but that was thrown out as soon as I thought about it, considering my position. "Why is that?"

"Cuz, I want to sleep with onii-chan!"

I sucked in a breath. Although I found Kuu monstrously adorable and endearing, I was still partially iffy with the concept of being the Ashikabi of such a young child. I am a red blooded male through and through, not a lolicon. I find myself becoming more liberal with showing Toyotama, Yomi, Uzume, and Matsu some forms of physical affection; although, I have to be much more restrained around Matsu, otherwise I might end up breaking one of Miya's rules. Hell, that rule is probably the main reason I haven't slept with any of my age-appropriate girls. It's been what, not even two weeks have passed and I'm already moving that fast? Some master of self-control I am, eh?

But I'm at a loss on how to give Kuu the same level of affection without…treading into dangerous territory, per se. I do not see Kuu the same way I see the others.

"Well, Kuu, I appreciate the gesture, but you can't just leave Asama-san's room in the middle of the night. Remember, she's letting us stay here, so you have be nice and listen to what she tells you to do, understand?" I told her sternly.

She looked at me with her sad eyes, showing me her genuine regret.

_Oh, no! She's throwing the pout at me! I… must… stay… strong…!_

Kuu finally relented, "Okay, onii-chan…" She pouted and looked down.

I released a breath, "It's okay, Kuu."

At that moment, I heard another light groan. Yomi slowly opened her eyes, looking around slowly. "What happened?" She slurred her speech lightly.

I looked over to Yomi, "Hey, sleepyhead. Did you have a good night's rest?"

Yomi smiled softly, "Yes, any sleep with you near is a good one, Takeshi-sama." She reached up and planted a light kiss on my cheek.

"Aw, shucks, you're going to make me blush." I whispered to her.

Kuu fumed lightly, "Fuuu! Mi-chan, stop hogging onii-chan!"

Yomi stuck her out playfully, snuggling closer to me.

My youngest Sekirei glared at her, but before she could say anything, someone else groaned to consciousness. Matsu slowly lifted her head to look around, as if she forgot her surroundings. Seeing me, she smiled wearily. "Good morning, Take-tan. How did you sleep?"

I paused, thinking for a moment. "Considering I'm held in place by five people who figure they need to stay as close as possible, I slept surprisingly well." I said happily.

Matsu smirked lightly, "That's good…" She pouted lightly, "How about a good morning kiss?" She slowly leaned and puckered her lips.

Only to have Toyotama stretch at the very last minute and have their lips meet accidentally. I blinked at the spectacle, slightly surprised. Toyotama groaned lightly, blinking her eyes open for a moment. Seeing Matsu, she arched an eyebrow and broke the kiss. "Why…?" She shook her head lightly. "I don't even want to know…"

Matsu paused for a moment, then suddenly a lecherous smile grew on her face. "Two Sekireis kissing, I wonder what would happen…" She looked down to me, smirking contemplatively and giggling maniacally.

"Matsu." I said silently.

She perked up, "Yes, Take-tan?"

I licked my lips, "No 'experiments' like that…unless I say so…" I whispered lightly.

Toyotama blinked, partially surprised by my subtle perversion. Then she smirked, "My, aren't we showing our hidden depths."

Matsu blushed lightly when I said what I said. That was quickly followed up by a suggestive smile. "Whenever you're ready, Take-tan."

Yomi cuddled closer to me, "Mou, Takeshi-sama, if you wanted to experiment, then I'm ready whenever you want me."

I released a slow breath, trying to control myself.

"Onii-chan?" Kuu caught my attention.

"Yes?" I replied.

"There's something wrong with U-chan." She gestured to Uzume, who I finally noticed had a bright luminescent blush on her face.

"I don't kno-" I suddenly realized why. It's the morning, I'm lying underneath four very attractive women and I'm a healthy male. There's only one logical, or _bio_logical, occurrence that could happen. Needless to say, I'm in a very precarious, if pleasant, position.

At the same time, I felt a premonition. A very cold shiver raced down my spine. "Everyone, slowly get off of me…"

"Why?" Yomi asked, perplexed.

I stared at the door to my room. "Just do it and quickly."

It was too late. The door to my room was flung open, revealing our landlady holding a very sharp knife. "I wondered where Kuu went." She looked to all of us, but failed to see me. The very second she threw my door open, I pulled a Houdini, managing to slip my way out of the grips of my Sekirei and pressing myself against the far wall.

Finally seeing me, she shook her head. "What would my husband think? I'm staying under the same roof as a beast with such lustful urges."

I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it. Pausing, I lifted a finger, "You know, I can't exactly argue with that."

* * *

><p>After a few moments, everyone was making their way downstairs and I was getting dressed in my uniform for work. Exiting my room, I headed down the stairs and towards the front door. As I did, I noticed everyone was sitting in the living room. Walking inside, I saw that Toyotama and Yomi were watching the television, looking rather sour.<p>

Upon noticing that I was there, Yomi waved me over. "Takeshi-sama, you have to see this. It's about the arboretum."

I scrunched my eyebrows, slightly confused. Nonetheless, I walked over and watched the television. What I saw surprised the hell out of me. I didn't hear a thing; all I noticed was the headline. 'Overgrown Plants in Arboretum Removed Overnight'. "That can't be right… There were entirely too much to just take out, much less over night."

"It was Shi-chan…" A small voice caught my attention.

Looking to the source, I saw Kuu sitting off to the side, on the porch. "Shi-chan? Who's Shi-chan?" I asked Kuu softly as I walked over to her.

All of a sudden, I realized that she started to cry. Rushing over to her, I dropped down right next to her and placed a calming on her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her softly.

Tears began to coalesce as she spoke, "Shi-chan was my friend. We were always together. Shi-chan would always help Kuu with controlling her power." She grimaced lightly, the tears starting to flow. "Now that he's gone, Kuu will go out of control again." She hunched forward and was about to start bawling.

Suddenly, she was surprised by my sudden action. I pulled Kuu into a firm, reassuring hug. "No, you won't." I whispered in her ear. "You will never lose control again, Kuu. Do you know why?" I asked her gently.

She looked up to me with wide eyes and shook her head.

I placed a hand on her head, "It's because I'll always be there for you. Your onii-chan will always be there to help you, to protect you. I'll never let anyone hurt you; I'll never allow anyone to make you cry." I looked directly into my youngest Sekirei's eyes and smiled gently. "Remember, that I will always be for you, okay? Remember that you will never be alone; you'll have your onee-chan's to help you along with your onii-chan. So do me one favor, okay?"

Kuu nodded, "What is it, onii-chan?" She asked expectantly.

I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "Never cry, okay? It hurts when I see you shed a tear. If you promise to be strong and cry only when I say it's okay, then I will always be there when you call my name."

Kuu bit her lip and paused. Then she nodded.

I smiled, lightly rubbing a tear off of her cheek. "Good; but I'll add one more thing. Whenever you need me, no matter when or where, all you have to do is call me. Once you do, I'll always appear; I'll always be your hero and save you from the bad guys."

Kuu smiled and nodded, but asked, "Onii-chan, when is it okay to cry?"

I thought for a moment, then said, "When you're so happy, that you just can't contain yourself; when you know a smile simply won't cut it. That's when it's okay to cry. When you're laughing extremely hard at something super funny and your sides hurt; that's when it's okay to cry. When you're really sad and don't know what to do, then come find me; you can cry as much as you need to and I'll make it all better. Okay?"

She nodded and looked up to me.

"Hitomi-kun, are you heading to work?" I turned around to see Miya standing in the hallway coming out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm just telling Kuu good bye." Turning back to Kuu, I crouched down and said, "I've got to go for a little while. I'll be back in a few hours, so hang tight okay?"

Kuu nodded lightly, clearly not liking the fact that I'm leaving.

I tapped her lightly on the nose, "Don't look so down; you're going to make me feel bad." I smiled lightly at her. "Why don't you play with Yomi and Toyotama while I'm gone? If you do, then I guarantee that the time will fly by."

Kuu nodded quickly, "Okay!"

Grabbing my helmet, I headed towards the door and called out, "Everyone, I'm heading off to work." Slipping on a pair of my work boots, I was about to leave when Miya called to me.

"Hitomi-kun, I have your lunch for later." She held out a boxed lunch to me.

I reached forward and took the boxed lunch. "Thanks, Asama-san." Once again, I was about to leave when Uzume called out to me. "Yeah?" I inquired her.

"I'm going with you to work." She said with a smile, holding her own lunch box.

I arched an eyebrow. "Why?" I said warily.

She crossed her arms, giving me a look. "The five of us agreed that you're too headstrong for your own good, so we're going to take turns keeping an eye on you." Uzume placed a hand on her hip, "Today is my turn to keep watch over you."

I sighed, scratching my head. "I'm sure there's nothing I can say to prevent you from doing this, right?"

Uzume shook her head, smirking lightly. "There's nothing you could possibly do to stop any of us from keeping an eye on you."

I rubbed my temples and beckoned her to follow. "C'mon, let's just go. I don't want to be late." I opened the door and stepped outside, holding it open for Uzume.

She grinned at me as she walked out the door, "What a gentleman." She stepped up to my side and grabbed my arm.

Miya waved us off as the two of us left the yard. "Be careful you two."

The two of us walked through the streets in relative silence. Keeping pace on my right side, I noticed Uzume look over to my left arm, which was still bandaged from a few days ago. "Did it hurt?" She asked me lightly.

I shrugged a single shoulder, "Eh. It wasn't too bad. All it did was scratch my arm up a little." I lifted my arm, flexing it lightly. "It was worth the pain, though. I kept Kuu from being taken against her will. If I had to, I'd do it again, for all you." I glanced down to Uzume smiling lightly.

She placed her head on my shoulder, humming lightly. After a moment's pause, Uzume whispered, "You really care, don't you?"

Arching an eyebrow, I inquired her, "What do you mean?"

"What you said a few days ago, about helping other Sekirei, I thought you were just saying that. I trusted your words; it was the meaning behind them I wasn't sure of. But when you rushed out to help Kuu without thinking, I finally realized that you truly meant what you said." Uzume stepped in front of me, grabbing both of my hands. Taking the lunch box and my helmet, she placed them lightly on the ground. Lifting my hands to her mouth, Uzume placed them on her cheek. "I feel so safe around you, even more so than when I'm home. It's like you've become my beacon, my lighthouse." She chuckled, "I guess it's obvious, though, since you're my Ashikabi and all."

I tried to reply, but I couldn't think of anything to say. "Uzume…"

"I know I just met you five days ago, but it feels like I've known you my entire life." Opening one of my hands, she placed them palm against her cheek. "You're touch calms my racing heart." She muttered lightly. Looking up to me, she met my eyes.

I couldn't look away, our eyes were locked. I was instantly lost in the expanse of her brown eyes. Leaning closer, I placed my other hand on her shoulder. "You know… I think I could get used to this…"

Uzume broke eye contact to laugh lightly. "You're too much, Takeshi."

I grinned, "It's no wonder I have five Sekirei."

She shook her head and released one of my hands, stepping back to my side. "Let's get to your work, Takeshi. You don't want to be late, do you?"

I snorted, leaning down to pick up my helmet and lunch. At that, we continued on our way to the construction site. The walk was relatively short, considering Maison Izumo is not as far from the construction site as my old place. Walking into the site, I was immediately greeted by my coworkers.

Aizawa was the first to take a jab, "Wow, Takeshi-kun, you're a regular lady-killer. First you had those two cute numbers and now this one. I would've killed to have your charisma when I was your age."

Motou grinned, "What happened with Yomi and Toyotama? They seemed so kind, did you just kick them to the curb?"

I groaned and waved my free hand at them. "Back the hell off, guys. Yomi and Toyotama are doing just fine; they're staying home today." I paused and shook my head, smiling in spite of myself. "I might as well introduce you; this is Uzume, everyone. Uzume, these are my annoying coworkers."

Aizawa placed a hand over his heart, "Oh, you wound me, Takeshi-kun. What would possess you to call your elders, the ones who taught you everything you know about this job, annoying?"

I snorted, "If you taught me everything I know about this job, then explain to me why I happen to be your supervisor."

"Touché, Takeshi-kun, touché." He then went back to his station.

I glanced over to Uzume to see her laughing, "What's so funny?" I asked her.

"You seem like you're enjoying yourself." She was holding a hand over her mouth as she laughed lightly.

I released my breath in a small chuckle, "You could say that." I beckon her to follow me as I went up to the head supervisor. When we reached him, I lifted a hand, "I'm checking in, sir."

As soon as he saw me, a wave of relief washed over his face. "You have no idea how much we need you, Hitomi-kun. We're running short on workers as of late. I hate to ask you this, but I'm going to need you to work with the others to get our quota for the day filled."

I put my helmet on and sighed, "I've told you before, I don't mind it. I'm more than willing to help get the work done." I cracked my knuckles, "After all, what's the point the point of getting the job done if you don't do it right?" I grinned.

He released a tired breath, "Once again, I'm glad you're here Hitomi-kun. I don't where I'd be if you weren't here." He paused and finally noticed Uzume's presence. "Well, who is this?"

Uzume smiled lightly and extended her hand, "Hello, sir, I'm Uzume, Takeshi's new girlfriend." She gave me a sly look out of the corner of her eye.

The supervisor shook her hand and whistled, "It sure is nice to meet you, Uzume-san. I hope you're taking care of our Hitomi-kun. He's known for working a little too hard."

Uzume grabbed my arm and held me close, "Of course, I'm taking care of him." She pouted and glared pointedly at me, "Though, he's known to act without thinking."

He laughed heartily, "That's definitely our Hitomi-kun." Shaking his head, he waved me off. "Enough, jokes. You have work to do."

I snorted and nodded in turn; making my way to my station, I leaned down and picked up a pickaxe. "Uzume, take a seat on that I-beam. I can't promise you'll have much to do. The work can get a bit monotonous."

She grabbed my lunch from me and grinned lightly. "Don't you worry about me; you just do what you need to do." Uzume then walked towards the I-beam, taking a seat.

Shaking my head, I hefted the pickaxe and went to work.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I fell onto the seat next to Uzume, feeling famished. I had worked harder than I ever remember doing. There was plenty of heavy lifting, rock breaking, placement and other things. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I looked over to Uzume, I said, "What's with that look?"<p>

"You were the hardest worker out there…" She undid the cloth from around my lunch box and pulled out the chopsticks. "Even though you said you would work with the others, you still went the extra mile, trying to see every part of the job. You gave out opinions and suggestions, which everyone took as if they came from someone they respected."

I snorted and shook my head, "It was nothing. I just know what I'm doing."

Uzume picked up something with the chopsticks and held it out to me. "Regardless, you showed me what it means to work hard."

I took the food and chewed it slowly, savoring the deliciousness of Miya's cooking. Afterwards, I asked, "Did it influence you in your own work ethic, yet?"

"Nope." Uzume said with a smile.

I laughed lightly myself. "Great. It looks like I'll have to work harder until it rubs off on you."

Uzume smirked, "That's one way of putting it." After that, she went about me feeding me my entire lunch.

Afterwards, work flew by. I did my part, plus more, and returned to Maison Izumo with still a few more hours in the day. Walking inside, I was greeted by Kuu running up to me. "Hey, Kuu. Did you miss me?"

She wrapped her arms around my legs, looking up to me. "Of course, onii-chan!"

I chuckled lightly. Glancing up, I saw Yomi standing off to the side. "I take it all of you played nice."

Yomi grinned and said, "Yeah, Toyotama and I took turns training with Miya." She seemed to favor one of her arms. "She's really strong, you know."

I chuckled and reached down, peeling Kuu from my legs so that I could remove my shoes. Walking further inside, I looked into the living room and out to the courtyard, where I could see Toyotama and Miya still going at it in the training. Releasing a breath, I shook my head. Looking back to Uzume, Yomi and Kuu, I said, "I'm heading up to Matsu's room, there's something I need to talk with her about. Anyone want to join me?"

A few moments later, I'm sitting behind Matsu as she's typing away at her computer; Kuu was sitting on my lap while Yomi and Uzume were on either side of me.

"I managed to find out the information you wanted to know, Take-tan." Matsu turned around to face me, allowing me to see the screen on her main monitor.

"You did? Good. Who was the Ashikabi of Number 39?" I asked, wanting to get right to business.

Matsu pressed a single button on her keyboard. An image of a young teen dressed in a frilly, white shirt and dress pants appeared on the screen. He had light brown hair and a haughty look on his face. "Mikogami Hayato, a single child. He's from a wealthy family."

I narrowed my eyes as I took in the picture. If I ever see him in person, he and I are going to have some choice words. "Kuu, is this the guy who tried to wing you?" I asked her softly.

She nodded lightly, "Yeah, he was the one who had that mean onee-chan hurt Takami-onee-chan."

I clicked my tongue, feeling my blood start to boil.

"He seems…spoiled." Yomi said. "I wouldn't want him to be my Ashikabi; Takeshi-sama is a much better person." She said with a superior smile.

I released a breath, smiling lightly.

Matsu went on, saying, "He was also the Ashikabi of the Sekirei who tried to capture Uzume." She then brought up the images of two Sekirei; the one who used to whips and the 'kimono' one. "Although, it is that strange that he's managed to bring a Scrapped Number into his ranks."

"Scrapped Number?" I thought out loud. Shaking my head, I said, "Nevermind."

Matsu typed in a few more keys into the computer, causing another image to come up. "From the data I've put together, I've noticed a strange increase of Sekirei under the control of this man. A Izumi Higa."

I narrowed my eyes at the image. This person was obviously around my age, but obviously well-to-do. He wore a crisp white shirt and a pair of slacks. He looked even more arrogant than the last one. I haven't even met the guy and I already want to punch him in the throat.

"It's somewhat ironic that he's taking part in the Game, considering the pharmaceutical company his family owns was knocked off the top by MBI." Matsu resumed typing on her wireless keyboard, "As I was looking into Mikogami, I couldn't help but notice a large number of Sekirei fall under his control."

I examined the picture, embedding it into my memory. I wanted to know exactly what this guy looked like, just in case a one in a million chance in street allowed me to run into him. This is another guy I'd love to meet and introduce to the sole of my shoe.

Leaning back, I placed my hand on face, feeling as though I could fall over any minute. "Is there anything else, Matsu?" I asked her.

My fourth Sekirei nodded lightly, "Yes, Take-tan, I kind of need you to run an errand for me…"

I arched an eyebrow, "What type of errand?"

Matsu chuckled lightly, "Well, I used to have my packages delivered directly to the inn, but…"

I blinked, placing a hand on my face. "Do I even want to know what happened?" I groaned lightly.

"I actually remember that." Uzume perked up. She grimaced, "Miya was really angry with you after that. I think she actually stopped letting your orders come to Maison Izumo."

"What were you even ordering to make Asama-san so angry?" I asked incredulously. Looking down, I saw that Kuu was still sitting on my lap, engrossed in the conversation. Lifting a hand, I said, "Nevermind, I don't want to know. What do you need me to do, Matsu?"

She adjusted her glasses, "Matsu needs Take-tan to pick up one of her newest packages." Matsu left me hanging.

"Do I want to know what you ordered?" I asked bluntly.

Matsu shook her head, "It's a surprise for you, Take-tan." She crawled over to me and pointed to me. "When you get it, don't open it. Matsu will be watching through one of MBI's satellites."

I sighed heavily, "I hope this doesn't get me into trouble with Asama-san." Pausing, I inquired her, "It won't, will it?"

Matsu sucked in a breath, falling back to sit down. "You may have to be sneaky about it…"

I slapped my forehead with my hand. "Of course." Shaking my head, I looked over to Yomi. "Yomi, could you keep Asama-san distracted after she's done with training Toyotama? You know, ask her how you make a certain dish or something."

Yomi nodded quickly, "Of course, Takeshi-sama. I'll make something that you'll love."

I smiled lightly and looked over to Uzume. "Whenever Asama-san is done with that, could you think of something to help distract her? I'm drawing up a blank."

Uzume grinned, chuckling lightly. "Of course, Takeshi. Though, I can't promise it'll hold her for long; Miya's known for catching a lie or trick."

I waved my hand, "Don't worry about that, just leave the timing to me."

Kuu looked up to me and waved her hand, "Ooh, ooh, what about Kuu?"

I ruffled her hair, "You'll be with your onii-chan. I haven't had much of a chance to hang out with you, Kuu." I grinned down to her. Looking up to Matsu, I said, "Does that sound like a plan?"

Matsu nodded quickly, "Thank you, Take-tan! This is a very important package to Matsu's latest experiment."

I arched an eyebrow, "Does it chafe?" I felt the need to ask her.

* * *

><p>Kuu and I made our way through the streets, towards the post office. Making sure to hold onto Kuu's hand, I walked relatively slowly so could keep up with my pace. In her free hand, Kuu was carrying a potted plant.<p>

As we made our way to the post office, we passed a small convenience store. Kuu squeezed my hand, catching my attention. Pointing to the convenience store, Kuu said, "Onii-chan, look. Those people are scared."

I looked to where she pointed and immediately saw what was happening. Someone was holding up the convenience and the various pedestrians inside. I clicked my tongue, the nerve of some people. Looking down to Kuu, I lifted a finger to my lips. "Be quiet, okay? Onii-chan's going to play hero." Casually walking by, I led the two of us along the edge of the street and into a side alleyway.

As I waited at the corner, I heard one of the men say, "Oi, you go around the corner and see if they hid the safe in a secret compartment."

I cursed under my breath, something always happens to mess up my plans. At the same time, I felt Kuu tug at my sleeve. Looking down to her, I heard her whisper to me.

"Onii-chan! The bad guys are going to find us!" She looked scared.

I crouched down and whispered, "Onii-chan will find the bad guys first, okay? Now cover your eyes." Kuu nodded and complied. As she did, I stood and waited for the accomplice to appear. After a few excruciating seconds passed, I finally saw the gun appear in my line of sight. Stepping back quickly, I threw a kick upwards, knocking the gun out of his hand. Immediately after that, I stepped forward and grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards me. Quickly chopping him in the Adam's apple, I planted my hand onto his masked mouth and extended my free hand, catching the descending pistol.

During all of this, the burglar simply stared in wonder at what just happened. His eyes were wide with surprise and fear. Surprise at my sudden appearance and fear at the gun pointed directly at his chest.

I held the gun firmly and lightly fingered the trigger. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. All you need to do is nod or shake your head. If you answer truthfully, I won't pull the trigger. If you lie, well… let's hope you don't." I grinned darkly.

I heard an audible gulp from him.

I clicked my tongue, glad that my intimidation tactic worked. "First, do you have any hostages?" He nodded. "Second, have you hurt anyone yet?" He shook his head. "Third, are you the leader?" He shook his head. "Finally, do you have a history of any trauma to the head?" He started to shake his head, but paused. Before he could do anything, I slammed the butt of the gun into the side of his head, knocking him out. "I guess that'll be your first." Pressing a button on the gun, I ejected the clip and pulled back the chamber, ejecting a round.

Looking over to Kuu, I threw the empty gun into a garbage pile and said, "It's alright, Kuu. The bad guy's sleeping."

Kuu opened her eyes and looked up to me.

I released a breath and said, "C'mon, let's go help out the others." I held my hand out for hers and watched as she grabbed it. Heading out of the alley, I saw someone fly through a window, shattering the glass as he cried out in pain and surprise. He crashed onto the ground and groaned lightly, cradling his arm.

Right at that moment, the seven foot giant I met at MBI stalked out of the convenience and released a tired breath. "Can't a guy just go to the store without being involved in something troublesome?" Akira Oshiro massaged his temples.

Upon seeing the big man, I lifted a hand and said, "Yo."

When he saw, he grunted an affirmative in response.

The man pushed himself back to his feet and reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun. "Who are you, you freaking giant?"

I cleared my throat, "That's not exactly a polite thing to say. Sure, the guy isn't human, but doesn't mean you can just insult him."

Akira groaned, "Please stop saying that I'm not human…"

I lifted my hand in acquiescence. "Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em. It's not everyday you see a seven foot tall human being. I just remove the middle ground and call you not human."

The thief looked between the two of us and roared in frustration. "Will the two of you stop ignoring me! I'm right here!"

At that, the two of us acted. I pulled my hand from Kuu's grasp and lunged over to the thief, dropping to the ground and rolling behind him. Leaping to my feet, I saw Akira charging towards him. Bringing my foot back, I spun and crashed my heel into his left side. Akira threw a punch and caught him across the right side of his jaw. The two of us followed through with our attacks and pushed against him. The man flipped mid-air following the arc of our attacks. Landing on the ground, he lost consciousness.

"You, sir, are only reaffirming my point that you are not human." I said to him without preamble.

Akira groaned, "What about you? You kicked him just as I punched him."

I lifted a finger, "Ah, but the lower body is inherently stronger than the upper body. I'm living proof of that fact."

He shook his head, "Whatever. Just go on with whatever nonsense you were planning before appearing here."

I clicked my tongue and grinned at the guy. "I was just going to do that." Walking over to Kuu, I grabbed her hand and lifted a hand in goodbye. "Kuu, say goodbye to Mr. Not Human."

Kuu waved her hand, "Bye-bye, Mr. Not Human!"

Akira audibly groaned.

At that, the trek the rest of the way to the post office was relatively uneventful. Entering, I approached the front desk and said, "Hello, I'm here to pick up a package for a 'Takeshi Hitomi'." I mentally groaned. Matsu just had to use my name to order the package.

The clerk looked up to me and said, "Can I see your ID?" I obliged and handed him my photo ID. After comparing me to my picture, he handed it back and said, "One moment please." Leaving his seat, he retreated into the backroom. After a few moments' wait, he came back out, carrying a large box that took two arms to hold. "Here you go." He placed it on the counter and pulled out a clipboard; grabbing a pen, he gestured to an empty line, "Sign here, please."

I did and took the package then left the post office. I had to use both of my hands to hold the large box, so I told Kuu, "Stick close to me, okay?"

She nodded enthusiastically and took hold of the hem of my shirt. The two of us walked back to Maison Izumo in a relatively short amount of time. As we made it back to the inn, I could see Miya standing in the doorway.

"Hitomi-kun, whose package is that?" Her voice sounded pleasant on the surface, but I could sense the menace behind it. Peeking slowly from around the box, I smiled innocently. She continued as I paused. "I haven't told you this, yet, but I feel that you should know right about now. Matsu can't have her packages delivered because of an incident that happened a few weeks ago."

I lifted a hand from under the box and told her to stop. "You don't need to tell me, Asama-san. I heard from Matsu. This was going to be her last package. Apparently it's for some project she's in the middle of right now. I have no idea what it is and she won't tell me." I replaced my hand under the box and hefted it back up.

She nodded, "Okay, then." Miya then let me pass to go back inside.

Placing the box in the living room, I stretched lightly. "Asama-san, is the bath ready? I haven't had one all day."

Miya chuckled lightly, "Of course, I had it ready the moment you left to get Matsu's toy."

I shuddered at the mention of 'toy'. "She still hasn't told me what's in this thing…" Shaking my head, I pulled my jacket off and placed it on the hangar next to the door.

Yomi stepped around the corner and gave me a regretful look. "Sorry, Takeshi-sama, Miya found out almost as soon as I asked her to show me a new recipe."

I smiled and shook my head, "It's okay, Yomi. It all worked out in the end. No harm, no foul, right?"

Yomi beamed and pulled me into a tight embrace.

I went upstairs and ran into Toyotama, "Well, what do we have here? You've been busy today, haven't you?"

I smiled lightly and shrugged, "Sorry, I haven't spoken with you all day, Toyotama."

She shook her head and placed a hand on my cheek. "Don't apologize. I was trying to get stronger; we haven't encountered any Sekirei who can hold their own against one of us, but I still want to be prepared just in case that we do."

I looked her into the eyes, "I'll be sure to get stronger too. I always want to stand by your side."

Toyotama smiled and removed her hand from my cheek. "Don't do anything stupid, now." She said as she went passed me going down the stairs.

I shook my head with a small chuckle. Heading into my room, I grabbed a change of clothes and retreated to the bath. After removing all of my clothes, I entered the bath and relaxed the tub. Releasing a breath, I closed my eyes and said to myself. "Why does it feel like things will only get crazier from here on out?"


	9. The Ursine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Sorry for the long wait, I've been distracted by a new game of mine, Record of Agarest War. It's quite possibly one of the longest games I have ever seen in my life. Pretty good, though the battle system could use a little work. But, hey, it's a good story, check it out._

_Also, I need a Beta reader. I've been told that I have been making a few grammatical errors, but I've failed to notice them while I was reading through the chapters prior to putting them up. Then again, that doesn't surprise me. I've never really been able to catch my own mistakes when I'm writing/reading my own work. My mind always just plugs in everything I miss without telling me. If anyone is willing to help out, then it'll be appreciated._

_Anyway, here's the next chapter. Some of you have noticed that I'm following the canon winging; well, I'm partial towards the canon Sekirei, I like how they're fleshed out and utilized in the story. That being said, I will not have the same harem as in the anime, that much is obvious, so I'll be taking a few underutilized Sekirei and molding them as my own, as I've done with Toyotama and Yomi. Those two won't be the only one's either; I love taking underused characters from canon and putting my own spin on them. It gives me a bit of freedom that I don't get from the main cast, which is why I find them easier to write. _

_Moving on, I hope you enjoy this next installment. Read/Review/Etc._

* * *

><p><strong>The Hopes of Ascension<strong>

Chapter Nine

The Ursine

My body refused to move, my heart racing several miles per hour. My thoughts raced faster than I could comprehend or form proper words. The person before me was someone I had looked up to growing up, someone just as important to me as the very person who taught me to fight. Hell, Yume had a hand in helping me develop my repertoire of hand-to-hand combat. But…I was told that Yume died…that she gave her life to save another…

I felt Uzume grab me by my shoulder and shook me lightly, "Takeshi, you need to wake up. The plan won't work if you stay like this."

I didn't respond. I couldn't. I just wasn't able to comprehend what was in front of me. One of the most pivotal people in my life was alive, when I thought she was dead. Even if I knew what to do, I wouldn't know what to say…

"Takeshi, you have to wake up." She grabbed me by my shoulders and forced me to face her. "If you don't do this, then you will have broken your promise."

My eyes snapped to hers, locking in place.

"You remember, right? The promise you made to me, to Miya, to the others." Uzume's eyes turned sharp. "You're supposed to keep your word, Takeshi. One of the things that you said were important to you was honesty. Don't go back on your word, now, otherwise I'll never see you the same way again."

I faced away from her, feeling ashamed. Scanning the overlying area, I casually overlooked the battles down there. Toyotama was fighting a Sekirei who kicked; Yomi was fighting one with hidden blades. As my eyes scanned the area, I came upon a small, bright glare. The sunlight was reflecting off a glassy surface. Narrowing my eyes, I saw the front windshield of a sports car. A nice, sports car; one that was out of my budget range…. Rich pricks…

Turning around, I faced Uzume and gave her a resolute stare. Lifting my hand, I placed it on her shoulder and pulled her into me. Planting my lips onto hers, I gave her an intense kiss to emphasize what I was going to say. Breaking the contact, I met her eyes. "I will never go back on a promise." Pointing in the distance, I gestured to the sports car. "Get me over there; after that, go back up the others. No matter what happens, though, make sure they don't capture that Sekirei. I don't care if you need to use deadly force, just make sure she remains safe." I wrapped an arm around Uzume's waist and waited for her to act.

She was slightly caught off guard at the kiss, but quickly regained composure. As she leapt forward, I couldn't help but notice the sideways glance she gave me. After a few moments, Uzume reached another rooftop and I broke away from her.

"Give me a sheet of cloth and lower me down. I'm going to surprise the hell out of this guy." I grinned darkly. Holding out a hand, I waited for Uzume to give me the cloth. When she did, I lifted my free hand to my ear and pressed onto the earpiece. "I'm sorry about earlier, I just had a bit of stage fright. Thanks to a little intervention, I'm right as rain." Clearing my throat, I continued, "I've located the Ashikabi. Matsu? Can you see me?"

"Yes, Take-tan." She replied almost instantly.

"Good, relay the location to Akira. He'll have his girls circle the area and make sure he won't be escaping." I smirked, stepping to the edge of the rooftop. "At least not until he and I have a few words, that is." At that, I stepped off the edge and fell quickly to the ground. The cloth suddenly went taut; I swung to the side and back to the wall, jumping forward. Slamming my feet onto the wall, I slid down the flat surface and then to opposite wall. Upon nearing the car, I leapt downwards and crashed right onto the roof. Crouching down, I looked through the front window and waved lightly.

The man sitting in the driver's seat froze at my sudden appearance. The cell phone he was holding slid out of his hand as he stared in wonder. The man was dressed in a pin-striped suit and wore a pair of glasses.

I gestured to the passenger side door and made a gesture telling him to unlock the door.

The man quickly shook his head.

I groaned, shaking my head. "Either you unlock the damn door or I kick the glass in and make you." I said loud enough for him to hear me. Complying with my demand, he unlocked the door; in response, I jumped down and approached the passenger side door, pulling it open. Taking a seat in the car, I leaned back and released a breath. "Leather seats, eh? Not bad…"

He recomposed himself, adjusting his glasses contemptuously. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, yeah." I said with equal contempt. "Are those your Sekirei out there? The ones trying to capture the Shrine maiden."

He grabbed at his tie nervously, "I assure you, I have no id-"

I casually reached over and grabbed him by the collar of his fancy suit. Pulling him towards me so that he could look me in the eye, I growled out, "Don't screw with me; just answer the damn question and you won't imitate the hood of the car."

He gulped audibly and shook his head. "No, they're my employer's."

I released his collar and relaxed into the seat. "Employer, eh?" I yawned lightly, "Mikogami or Higa?" I asked him.

The man paused, "I'm sorry?"

I grimaced and lifted a foot, allowing it to rest on the dashboard. "The way I see it, for an Ashikabi to have an employee, an assistant of sorts, he has to be wealthy. Of all the Ashikabi in the Game, there are only two with that kind of money. Hayato Mikogami and Izumi Higa." I pointed to him, giving him a frosty glare. "You work for one of them. Which one is it?"

The man cleared his throat, "Why should I tell you anything?"

I leaned over and released a frustrated breath, "Because I'm a fifth degree black belt with a chivalric streak over a mile wide. Plus I have a bad temper when it comes to others even thinking of forcefully winging a Sekirei." I lifted my hand and balled it into a fist. "My patience is growing thinner by the second; I'm also running out of reasons not kick your skinny ass, so work with me, here."

The man scoffed, "I'm not going to give into your threats!"

I groaned, "Why do people always want it the hard way?" I reared back my foot and threw it forward, crashing it through the window and destroying it. Grabbing the man by the back of his collar, I roughly pushed/threw him through the open front of the car. He stumbled out of the vehicle and rolled off of the hood. I lifted my feet and kicked myself out of the car. Standing in front of the car, I casually brushed myself off.

Releasing a breath, I reached down and grabbed him by the back of his jacket. Roughly pulling him to his feet, I brushed his suit off. "This could all go so easily if you just cooperated. But, I guess a little polite behavior could help. The name's Takeshi, what's yours?"

He looked at me incredulously, clearly unsure of my sanity. "I'm Kakizaki…"

"Ahh." I nodded lightly. "The name, Kakizaki, rings of 'pain in my ass' to my ears. Now that we have that out of the way, could you please answer my previous question? Who do you work for?"

Kakizaki simply scoffed and shook his head, "I've had enough of this. I'm leaving."

I threw a hand out, "Ah-ah-ah, sir. Not so fast. You're not going anywhere until you answer my question." I grabbed his shoulder and squeezed tightly, causing him to grimace in pain. "This could all be avoided if were to just cooperate. Now tell me, who do you work for?"

"Kakizaki-san!" I looked to the side, seeing a Sekirei dressed in a predominately yellow one-piece with the arms and legs covered in black. She had dark pinkish hair, with eyes of a matching color. Leaping up, she spun midair and threw a foot downwards, striking the spot where I used to be.

I jumped back, quickly removing my jacket. Holding it by the sleeves, I waited for another attack.

The Sekirei turned to Kakizaki, saying, "Are you okay, Kakizaki-san?"

He nodded, "Yes, Katsuragi, I'm fine. I was just accosted by a ruffian."

I grinned darkly, "I'm a ruffian, eh?" I snorted, "A bit hypocritical, if I may so myself; what with it coming from a guy who's trying to capture a Sekirei to just increase his numbers."

Katsuragi turned towards me, her eyes lazily glaring at me. "I don't care what you're here for. You attacked my Ashikabi, so I'm going to hurt you." She lunged towards me, throwing out her foot.

I licked my lips and grinned lightly, "Oh, really?"

Suddenly, a strip of cloth shot in front of me and wrapped tightly around her leg. Throwing her into the air, Uzume leapt above her, cloth twirling around her body. Suddenly, several strips of cloth shot downwards to Katsuragi.

The enemy Sekirei dodged to the side, evading the attack.

While the two of them fought in close proximity, I watched as Kakizaki pulled out his phone. Flipping it open, he pressed a button and lifted it to his ear. "Higa-sama?" He paused, nodding quickly. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry for taking so long. I seem to have run int-"

He was interrupted by my swiping the phone out of his hand. "Higa, eh?" I said with a light smirk. Putting the phone to my ear, I cleared my throat, "I take it that the person on the other end of this line would be a Izumi Higa?"

There was a small pause, then he replied. "Yes. Who would this be?"

"Takeshi Hitomi, a fellow Ashikabi. I have a single question for you."

"And what would that be?" He said, sounding amused.

"Why are you doing this?"

He paused for a long moment. Then I heard a small laugh. "Why not? I mean, these girls are meant to do whatever their Ashikabi tells them to; I'm just giving them someone to answer to. Why do you ask?" Higa sounded arrogant, like he believed that he stood above everyone else.

I bared my teeth in a snarl, "I just wanted to know what type of a prick you were. Now that I know your intentions, I don't have to hold back." I smirked, trying to sound as smug as possible. "Remember this, Higa, as long as I am capable, I will always keep you from forcefully winging other Sekirei. I will always stand in your way." I pulled the phone away from my ear and handed it back to Kakizaki. Pausing for a moment, I pulled it away from him, "One more thing, whenever you go out, make sure you have a small army protecting you."

"Why?" He asked with a condescending laugh.

"If I ever see you in person, I'm going to beat the ever-loving shit of you. Just thought I'd let you know, a fair warning and all that." I closed the flip phone and threw it back to Kakizaki. Walking away from the assistant, I paused and spoke to him from over my shoulder, "Oh, if I were you, I'd consider some new employment. Associating yourself with him will only end up getting you hurt in the long run."

At that, I took off into a sprint towards to where I last saw Yume. Catching Uzume's eye, I nodded briskly and ran through the park. Pumping my legs, I jumped to the side to evade an impact from one of the fights: the one between Toyotama and a long-legged Sekirei that wore a yellow and purple leotard.

The two of them were continually stalemating. Their skills allowed them fight effectively while keeping a distance between them and their opponents. As I raced by, I couldn't help but notice the subtle advantage my staff Sekirei had over her opponent. They were equal, I could easily notice that, but Toyotama had one solid advantage: when she attacked, her balance was rarely sacrificed for the sake of an attack. No matter how skilled you are, whenever you attack by throwing a kick, you sacrifice a modicum of your balance for the sake of an attack. As a martial artist whose strongest attacks are kicks, I know that better than most.

Toyotama seemed to have realized that; as her opponent threw a kick, Toyotama lifted her staff and blocked the strike. At the exact same time, she pushed her staff to the side, hooking it behind the second foot and spun her staff forcefully, causing the opposing to spin midair against her will.

Continuing my run, I allowed Toyotama to continue her fight unobstructed and headed past Yomi and her opponent. Yomi's opponent was a knife user; she wore a kimono-like dress with similar sleeves to the ones Yume wore. The two of them were clearly unable to gain the upper hand over one another.

When the knife user would get in close to attack, Yomi would jump back, slashing out with her scythe. The distortions caused by her scythe slashes would interrupt any pursuit, but that would be proved to be moot by the fact the knife thrower would simply do just that: throw a knife. A part of me wanted to help in some way, but I was unsure exactly how I would. I mean, I'm just a squishy human compared to the hardy Sekirei/Amazons that fought on my behalf.

Shaking my head, I continued towards where I last saw the fleeing Sekirei. That's when I saw her, standing off to the side, watching in wonder as my girls fought for me to help her. The very moment I saw her, she realized that I was racing towards her. I could see it in her eyes, the decision to run or stay and fight.

I hoped that she would stay; just not that she would fight me. I'd rather not be a stain on the ground for pissing off a fist-type. Slowing to a jog, I lifted my hands to let her know that I was not hostile. As I approached her, I stopped jogging and began to walk. "I'm not here to make you do anything; I just want to help."

As I approached her, I was struck by how much this Sekirei resembled Yume; it was so uncanny. They had the exact same hairstyle, from the long ponytail to the ahoge. They both had the same wide, brown, doe-eyes. They had the same size, ahem, assets. It was so…strange. "What is your name?"

She looked at me, into my eyes. Suddenly, a luminescent blush grew on her face. "I'm Number 88, Musubi." Musubi blinked slowly, stepping towards me. "I think…you're my Ashikabi…"

I tried my hardest not groan. Here I was, trying to save a Sekirei, instead I'm probably going to wing one. Another one.

* * *

><p>Three days earlier…<p>

I threw out a roundhouse kick, aiming at his neck. Akira caught my foot and threw me to the side. I slammed my hands onto the ground and pushed upwards and away, retreating for the moment. Getting back to my feet, I released a breath and met my sparring partner's eyes. Akira returned my look dispassionately, clearly not getting into the spar like I was.

"C'mon, big man. You're not going to get a lot out of our friendly spar if you don't put anything into it. I thought you were actually going to try." I rushed him, leaping up. Spinning, I threw out my foot, aiming at his temple.

"Maybe if you actually gave me something to work with, then I'd try." Once again, he effortlessly caught my foot and threw me to the side. As he did that, I deftly turned midair and threw out my second kick, grazing him across the arm. Dropping to the ground, I slammed my hands down and used them to push myself away.

Wiping my hands together, I smirked, "Really? Well, what do you call that?" Standing, I entwined my fingers and cracked my knuckles.

Akira snorted, "I call that a fluke."

Sitting on the porch, watching the two of us, were a collection of Sekirei. The majority of them were winged by me, obviously, but the three new ones were Akira's. Talking animatedly with Yomi about how a fight between Akira and I would go, was Number 90 Noa. Noa wore something resembling ninja gear, with the fishnet and the eponymous black costume. Needless to say, like all other Sekirei, it was rather showy; baring her midriff, her cleavage and her shins. Noa seemed to wield a pair of tonfas, since they rested off to the side, completely forgotten in the midst of her and Yomi's debate. Her hair was short, black and fell over the front of her face.

Matsu, on the other hand, seemed to be plotting something. She was speaking in hushed tones with another Akira's Sekirei, Number 102 Emi. Emi seemed to be like Matsu, in the sense that she was a noncombatant. Unlike most of her sister Sekirei, Emi dressed conservatively; hell, the only skin she bared was her face. She wore a set of overalls, a long sleeve shirt, gloves, slip-on shoes, and a lab coat over everything else. Her hair was medium length with a dark blue hue and was held in a loose ponytail.

Toyotama also seemed have found a new…'friend', I believe would be the proper term. Akira's third Sekirei, Number 57 Kaori, wore urban camouflage jeans, torn along the knees, a sleeveless flak jacket. Underneath the flack jacket was a collection of bandages wrapped around her modest chest. Her long, light brown hair fell loosely all around her body. I say 'friend', because their first interaction went something like this:

Upon seeing Toyotama, Kaori looked her up and down, then looked to the staff. After that, she looked to me, then back to Toyotama. "Wow, could you be more Freudian?"

Toyotama snorted, "Says the slave to fashion. Did you tear those jeans yourself?"

Those comments seemed to cement their friendship.

Anyway, Uzume and Kuu were sitting next to each other, watching the spar with moderate interest. Well, that was the case for Uzume. Kuu was exceedingly enjoying herself. Crying out in joy every time I attacked and wincing as if in pain whenever I was countered or when Akira attacked.

I stepped away from Akira, rolling my shoulders. "A fluke, eh? Let's see if you can prove that." I rushed him and did something that actually surprised the big man, I threw a straight punch.

He caught my fist and pushed it back, but I pushed back.

I grinned and clenched my second fist. Throwing a hook, I watched as he smacked it aside. I took that as an opportunity to rear back my right hand throw it forward again. Following up with an uppercut, I saw him take a step back, slightly put off by renewed assault. Stepping forward, I threw my hand out, pushing him back with my palm. It was like pushing against a brick wall. Jumping back, I jumped up lightly and spun, throwing my foot out in kick aimed at his head.

Akira caught my foot and pushed me away; he, however, neglected to notice my second kick, which was flying towards his side. Its speed was augmented by the push off of my first kick, the spin adding to the momentum. Then he noticed the incoming attack, throwing out his hand to block my kick.

After he slapped away my attack, I fell to the ground and slammed my hand downwards, pushing myself away. Casually getting to my feet, I brushed my shoulder off. "Well, still think it was a fluke?"

Akira shook his head, walking towards the porch.

I released a breath and also heading towards the porch. Kuu jumped down and ran over to me. "I think you did great, onii-chan!" She smiled up to me.

I smiled down to her, crouching to face her. "Thanks, Kuu." Placing hand on her head, I look around warily. "If you like it so much, would you want your onii-chan to teach you a little?"

She looked up to me with wide, unbelieving eyes. "Really? You'd really teach me?"

"Hitomi-kun…" I froze at the mention of my name. I looked over Kuu's head, seeing Miya step onto the porch. "Please stop corrupting Kuu."

I nodded quickly, not wanting to see the mask. "Of course, Asama-san. I'll stop corrupting her."

Miya smiled lightly, "Good. Now I believe it's time for everyone's bath." She looked over to Akira. "Oshiro-san, you're free to stay for dinner later, if you want."

He shook his head, "I appreciate the offer, Asama-san, but my girls and I have business we need to attend to." He beckoned them to follow.

Noa pushed herself to her feet and pointed to Yomi. "You and I aren't done here. I will prove to you that my Akira-kun is stronger than your Ashikabi."

Yomi stood up as well, shaking her head obstinately. "No way, Noa. My Takeshi-sama is way better. He's faster, stronger and smarter than anyone you could ever think of."

I groaned, approaching the two of them. "I'll have to get back to you on that last one. I'm more than willing to accept my lack of common sense. Figuring out how to fix it is another matter entirely."

Yomi turned to me, puffing out her lower lip. "Takeshi-sama don't say that!"

I laughed lightly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Stepping up to my other side, Toyotama stood directly behind Kuu, putting her hands on the younger Sekirei's shoulders. "Takeshi-kun's right, Yomi. He really is lacking in the common sense department." She looked over to me slyly.

"Hey!" I said, feeling partially insulted. "I'm not that bad." Pausing, I thought for a moment and nodded. "Actually, yeah, I am." I lightly scratched the back of my head, laughing at my own expense.

Uzume wrapped her arms around my neck from behind, resting her head on my shoulder. "Hey, Takeshi, do you want me to wash your back?" She whispered in my ear, smirking playfully.

I sucked in a breath, "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why?" She pouted lightly.

I gave her my most pointed look, letting her know that it wouldn't be appropriate. Plus, she knows Miya would blow a gasket.

Yomi must've heard Uzume's muttering, because she glared lightly at the cloth Sekirei. "I want to wash his back!"

I released a sudden breath, trying to calm everything immediately before things got out of hand. "No one is washing my back. That is something I will do on my own; besides, I know the ulterior motives the two of you have. I'd rather not have Asama-san chase me out of Maison Izumo because the two of you eroded my self-control." After that, I looked over to Toyotama.

"What?" She asked me, looking amused.

"I'm waiting for you to make some sort obviously inappropriate innuendo." I gave her a flat look.

Clearly feigning offense, Toyotama gasped lightly, "Me? Well I never." She said in complete deadpan with a small smile.

"Onii-chan?" Kuu tugged at my shirt. "What's an innuendo?"

I looked down to her, unsure of how to explain it. I'd rather do this myself than allow Kuu ask the others, like Toyotama for instance. "Well, it's a…code of sorts. However, you have to make one up on your own and try to get someone to find out what it is."

Kuu cocked her head to the side, "So you know what Tama-chan's 'innuendo' means?"

Tama-chan, huh? "Yeah, I did and her code is really bad." I said in a childish manner.

Kuu gasped and turned to Toyotama. Stomping her foot, she pointed at the taller Sekirei. "Tama-chan, stop making bad codes; or else onii-chan and Miya-onee-chan will get you." She glared at her fellow Sekirei, puffing out her cheeks.

I was worried about Toyotama's reaction, moderately. Toyotama's not exactly the role model you'd want for an impressionable young mind like Kuu.

Toyotama paused for a moment, then smiled lightly. "Okay, Kuu, I'll stop with making the bad codes." She ruffled the younger Sekirei's hair. "What do you say we go get in the bath? When we get there, you can tell me about how to make nicer codes, 'kay?"

Kuu nodded and held out her hand. "Okay, Tama-chan!" Toyotama took her hand and started walking towards the bath. As they did, Kuu looked back and said, "C'mon, Mi-chan! U-chan!"

I blinked, completely and utterly surprised at how she interacted with Kusano. I had no idea what to expect, but that still surprised me. My first Sekirei clearly had hidden depths that I felt like I had to see.

"Well, see you later, Takeshi." Uzume walked away from me, allowing her hand to slide across my shoulders as she stepped out of arm's reach.

"Later, Takeshi-sama." Yomi walked quickly over to Uzume and followed her.

I released a breath and shook my head.

"What wrong, Take-tan?" Matsu asked as she approached me.

I shrugged, "I realized that there is still a lot about each of you I still don't know."

Matsu smiled lightly, walking up to me. "Well, you have all the time in the world to get to know us." She reached and pulled her glasses off, looking up to me.

I chuckled lightly, "I guess I'll have to win. I'll fulfill all of your hopes; your hopes of ascension." I placed my hand over hers, looking into Matsu's eyes.

Matsu blushed lightly at my touch. Licking her lips, she reached up and hesitated. "Can I take your glasses off? I want to look into my Ashikabi's eyes without them in the way."

"Of course…" I reached up to take them, but Matsu took them for me. After a few moments of simply looking into one another's eyes, I licked my lips. "What do you see?"

Matsu blinked, "What?"

"When you just look someone in the eyes, you can learn something about them." I paused, looking deeply into Matsu's eyes. "I'll go first. I see curiosity; the desire to delve deeper. You also want to experiment; what those experiments are, I'm wary to find out."

Matsu giggled lightly, not looking away from me.

"What do you see?" I asked her, slightly hesitant.

She cocked her head to the side, looking deeply into my eyes. "I see… devotion, loyalty; the willingness to go as far as you have to in order to help others. I see selflessness." Matsu paused, then smiled, "I see a zany streak; you try to make others laugh in order to relieve the tension." Reaching up, she placed her other hand on my cheek, careful not to poke me in the eye with my glasses. "You have the eyes of a martyr…"

I furrowed my brow, confused. "A martyr? What makes you say that?"

"I've noticed a few things as I've watched you. When you're helping one of us, you get this resolute look in your eye. You put more effort into it than you have to and risk hurting yourself. When you ran off to save Kuu, you didn't hesitate at all. You jumped in without thinking and put yourself in the way so she wouldn't get hurt." Matsu looked at me intensely.

I released a breath, "I see your point."

"I'm sure it was that look in your eyes that made Number 04 train you." Matsu said to me.

I blinked, temporarily breaking eye contact. "What do you mean?"

Matsu licked her lips. "There's something about you, Take-tan, that makes us feel secure. The conviction behind your words puts us at ease, when we need to remain vigilant. Your words are powerful, but pale in comparison to the power your eyes have." She shivered lightly, starting to leer sensually at me. "I wonder how they'd feel if you stared hungrily at one of us, like, maybe, Matsu, for instance." She grinned.

I began to laugh lightly, shaking my head. Taking my glasses from her hand, I put the back on my face. "You're a riot, Matsu."

At that, it looked like something dawned on her. She grabbed my hand and began to pull me towards the stairs. "Take-tan, hurry and come to Matsu's room!"

I followed her, albeit hesitantly. "Uh, Matsu, you do remember Asama-san's rule, right?" I said to her as I went up the stairs immediately after her.

"Yes, yes, yes. I still remember. This is much more than important." She said quickly, opening the hidden door to her room.

I opened my mouth to say something, but was left dumbstruck. "I'm not sure whether to feel insulted or not…" I muttered to no one in particular.

Matsu giggled lightly, "If you're the one who wants to take the lead, then go on ahead, Take-tan. Matsu is more than willing to play along. Unfortunately, there is something extremely important that can't wait." She released me and plopped down in front of her computer, already typing away at the keyboard.

I couldn't help but feel slightly indignant. "Well, if you put it that way…" I dropped to a sitting position on the ground and waited for Matsu to tell me what she felt she had to tell me.

"It deals with what you said about helping other Sekirei find their destined Ashikabi. Well, there's a Sekirei doing that right, but he's pretty bogged down as it is." Matsu paused, clearly trying to figure out what to say next.

"And you want me to help him out?" I supplied her with a simple statement.

Matsu nodded quickly, "Yes, something like that."

I leveled a simple look at Matsu; she was hiding something from me and I wanted to know what it was. However, for her to do that there had to be some important reason to do so. At least I hope so.

"Anyway, he's been pretty bogged down as of late and I'm sure he'd love the help." She then began typing furiously, looking from screen to screen. "The other thing I needed you here for was to shoot an idea your way." Moving the cursor on her screen, she clicked on an icon. That, in turn, brought up a collection of numbers. "This is what Matsu thinks we should do…"

* * *

><p>Moments later, after our chat and my bath, everyone was sitting around the dinner table, eating away at our meal. "I have to say, Asama-san, this is some of the best I've eaten in a while. Kudos to your skill as a cook." I lifted my cup of tea in toast.<p>

Miya smiled lightly, "Well, thank you, Hitomi-kun. Though, I have to say, Yomi was a big help. She tried her hardest to keep up with me."

Sitting on my left, Yomi blushed lightly. "Do you really like it, Takeshi-sama?" She asked me innocently.

Facing her, I smiled lightly, "Of course, it tastes all the better now that I know you helped make it. Next time, I'd like to be your taste tester, when you help again."

Yomi beamed, scooting closer to me.

"Onii-chan, say 'ahh'." At my right, Kuu lifted a fork to me, a piece of chicken on the edge.

I chuckled lightly, "I can't do that, Kuu. You have to eat all of your food so you can grow up to be big and strong." She pouted at me. "Hey." I said lightly, "Don't you want to be strong like Tama-chan, U-chan, and Mi-chan." I paused, then smiled lightly, "Maybe even be as strong as Miya-onee-chan." I whispered to her.

At that Kuu quickly ate her food, smiling up at me.

Shaking my head, I looked up to see Toyotama, who sat directly across from me, smirking lightly. "What?"

She simply shook her head.

* * *

><p>The next day, we were all sitting in the dining room, setting up a mock battle plan of sorts. I was leaning against the back wall and scanning the map of the capital. Sitting on my lap was Kuu, who was just there because she wanted to be with me. On my right was Yomi, who seemed to have taken an interest in how we would initiate an attack. Sitting right at the table, Toyotama was scanning the map intensely. Uzume was sitting off to the side, not really into it. Matsu was next to Toyotama, whispering lightly to her.<p>

Across from me, Akira sat at the table, also scanning the map. At his immediate right was Kaori, who was gesturing to various points on the map, listing the various advantages and disadvantages involved with those different environmental positions. Emi was sitting behind Kaori, typing on a portable laptop, looking deep in thought. Noa seemed just as detached as Uzume, but was sitting next to Akira regardless.

"Okay, this is what I propose." I cleared my throat, catching everyone's attention. "Whenever we get word that a Sekirei is about to be captured, Matsu will point us in the right direction. With that, we'll send our two fastest people in: Kaori and Toyotama. The two of them will stir a little chaos, giving the rest of us time to get there. When everyone arrives, me and one of the Sekirei not fighting will be standing on the rooftops, keeping an eye out for the Ashikabi or the Sekirei. In the meantime, Akira you'll be on the ground, doing the same. Whenever either of us finds one, the other will be on the lookout for the second."

Akira gave me a tired look, "You do realize that your plan isn't going to always work, right?"

I released a breath, "Yes, I do. But it's something to start from. Do you have any ideas?"

He nodded, "Yeah, it starts with Matsu locating the Sekirei. From there, we send in Kaori and Noa to encircle the general area of the attack, keeping an eye out for hidden reinforcements. In the meantime, you should have Toyotama, Uzume and Yomi enter the battle and hold off the enemy while you and I search for the Ashikabi with the help of Matsu, our eye in the sky." In all of that, Akira's tone remained bored.

I nodded, scratching the back of my head. "That's one variation."

"I have one." Toyotama said without preamble. I told her to continue, so she cleared her throat. "It's better if one or more of us are taking several rounds around the general area. That way, if the place where the attack is happening is far from Maison Izumo, then the person taking rounds will be closer."

Kaori concurred, "That's strategically logical. It's better to have a single person throwing a wrench into a scumbag Ashikabi's plan to force himself on a Sekirei; then the rest of us can come in and crush the rest of the opposition. Everyone wins; we get a fight; the boys get to feel good about playing hero." She snorted at the last statement.

I released a breath, shaking my head lightly. Opening my mouth to reply, I felt a vibration on the inside of my pocket. Pulling out my phone, I checked the caller ID. It was Yukari. Picking Kuu up from my lap, I pushed myself to my feet. "I need to take this call, I'll be right back."

Clearing his throat, Akira got to his feet, checking his watch. "We need to head out too. Important business to attend to; see you either tomorrow or when we need to head out." He turned to leave, but paused. "You have my number, right?" He looked over his shoulder.

I looked at my phone, trying to remember whether I put it in or not. "Ehhh…yeah, I do. See ya later, Akira."

He lifted a hand in response, leaving with his girls in tow.

Leaving my girls to their devices, I stepped outside and took a seat on the patio. Flipping open my phone, I answered, "What is it, Yukari?" I asked her jovially.

"Onii-chan...I'm lost. Where is this 'Maison Izumo', again?"

For a moment, I wondered why she was asking me where I was living. Then I remembered, she said she was going to bring some of her old clothes for my girls, as a 'house-warming' gift. Releasing a breath, I said, "You have the clothes, don't you?"

"Yep!" My imouto said happily.

I restrained a groan. "Once again, you did not have to do that. I appreciate the gesture, though."

"Mou, onii-chan! Can't a girl help out her onii-chan out with the good graces of her heart?"

I sighed, "Fine. Where are you right now? I'll come get you."

Yukari paused, humming to herself. "I'm at the train station. I figured it would be smart to start here and move on from there."

I nodded, "Okay, good. Sit tight, I'll be there in no time."

"'Kay!" She hung up on me.

Standing up, I walked back into the dining room and said, "I'm heading out to meet Yukari; who wants to come with me?" I then waited for the inevitable swarm.

"Yukari? Your imouto?" Yomi asked hesitantly, lifting her hands to her chest.

"Oh, you're imouto? She's so adorable!" Uzume said with a laugh.

Toyotama simply arched an eyebrow.

Kuu jumped up, "I want to meet your imouto, onii-chan!"

I placed a hand over my mouth, thinking to myself. I wanted to be fair; Uzume went out with when I went to work. Kuu went out with me to get Matsu's package; Matsu can't exactly go out because she's wanted by MBI; it's either Yomi or Toyotama, in the spirit of fairness.

"Yomi, do you want to go with me to meet with Yukari?" She looked to me and nodded lightly. I beckoned her to follow me, "Then c'mon, we should head out; she's waiting at the train station.

It didn't take long for the two of us to make our way to the train station. However, when we arrived, there was no Yukari to be seen. I scratched the back of my head, feeling mighty peeved. "Well, this was a colossal waste of time…"

Yomi shook her head, "No it's not. I mean, you're imouto isn't here, but we can still do something."

I smiled at her, also realizing that her carrying her scythe was scaring off quite a few people. "Although that does sound like a good idea, the others would kill me…"

Yomi stepped up to me and grabbed my hand. Pouting up to me, she said, "Please…"

I gritted my teeth and tried to look away, but it was in vane. Giving in, I released a breath. As we left the train station, I got a text. Checking my phone, I saw that it was from Yukari.

_Sorry, I had to attend to something important. I'll come by in around two days. See ya then!_

-Yukari

Shaking my head, I allowed Yomi to lead me to wherever she wanted to take me. Around an hour and a half later, we returned to Maison Izumo. The two of us faced an angry Kuu. Let me say this: I have never felt fear for anyone other than Karasuba, now I've learned to fear the molars of an enraged child.

* * *

><p>Two days later…<p>

My girls and I were sitting on the patio, just looking to the sky. I was bored, to say the least. Absolutely nothing had happened in the passed few days and I'm not exactly the best at entertaining myself. Normally, things would be happening between me and my more 'adult' Sekirei, but I wouldn't feel right breaking Miya's rule.

There's that along with Kuu being attached to me for every minute of the day. I'm not angry or anything, it's just I have a bad habit of saying what's on my mind, without the mental filter set too high. I don't want Kuu to develop my bad habit of cursing a bit too much. There's that and I'm deathly scared of the landlady would do to me if she heard Kuu cursing up a storm because she heard her onii-chan say it.

I was lying back on the patio, my feet swaying lightly over the edge. Uzume was lying next to me, fast asleep, taking one of her naps. Toyotama was sitting on the edge of the patio, holding Yomi's scythe over the edge. Kuu was standing in front of Toyotama, trying to grab the scythe. My first Sekirei would lower the blade towards her young friend and pull it out of reach when Kuu would try to grab it.

The owner of said scythe was also taking a nap, lying on my opposite side.

Seeing the spectacle, I released a tired breath. "Toyotama, please stop teasing Kuu with a deadly weapon. Kuu, don't touch Mi-chan's scythe. It'll cut you." I rubbed my eyes with a single hand, trying not to jostle Uzume and Yomi.

Toyotama looked over to me, placing the scythe off to the side. "If you say so, Takeshi-kun. I just have one question, though."

"What is it?" I asked her as I watched Kuu get back onto the porch, yawning lightly. The little one slowly rested her head on my leg.

"When are you going to sleep with me?' She asked without preamble.

I sputtered, jumping up from my spot on the ground. I caused Uzume to roll over and grumble lightly; Yomi moaned piteously and cuddle up to my side. Kuu simply yelped, jumping up as I did. Looking over to Toyotama with a surprised look on my warm face, I said, "Where in the hell did that come from?"

Toyotama simply shrugged, "It's a simple question. I mean, we've been together for little over two weeks and we haven't gone any farther than a little heavy petting." She faced me, giving me a look as if she had simply asked what time it was.

I released a breath, "Yeah, it's only been around two weeks. Relationships that move that fast don't normally last too long." I paused, considering the differences. "Then again, this is different…"

"Exactly…" She said as she slid herself over to me. "What we have is different from other relationships. It's the same with all of us. We aren't human, Takeshi-kun. Please stop thinking of it that way." Toyotama placed her hand on my thigh. Leaning in, she pressed her lips onto mine, drawing me into a kiss.

I returned the kiss, lifting my hand to her cheek. Our lips moved in slow synchronicity, as she moved her hand higher up my thigh. Grabbing her hand, I broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, "I'm human, Toyotama… I want to return your affections wholly; I really do, but…" I blinked, refocusing on her. "I don't want to break Asama-san's rule. Also…"

Toyotama cocked her head to the side, "What?"

I nodded my head towards Kuu, who happened to be watching the two of us intensely. "It wouldn't be appropriate with everyone lying right next to us; plus, Kuu is watching us." I said with a small smile.

Toyotama glanced towards Kuu, then back to me. Smirking lightly, she said, "So all I need to do is get you away from everyone and you'll _indulge_ me?"

I returned her smirk with one of my own. "It's a possibility."

At that, I heard someone come crashing down the stairs. Matsu stumbled onto the patio, panting lightly. "Take-tan, it's happening!"

I looked at her for a moment, perplexed at what she meant. That's when it hit me. I jumped up onto the patio and faced Matsu, "You're serious? Someone's actually trying something right now?" I extended a hand to Toyotama, who took it and lifted herself from the ground.

Matsu nodded quickly, "Yes, there are a group of three Sekirei chasing after Number 88. We have to hurry, otherwise she'll be captured."

I nodded and looked over to Toyotama, "I need you to wake the two of them up. I'll meet you at the front door." She nodded and I followed Matsu inside. "Okay, is there anything else you need to tell me? Do you have any idea who's Sekirei that's attacking?"

"Yes, Matsu thinks the Sekirei belong to Higa. I haven't had the chance to look through the Sekirei he's winged, but quite a few of them look familiar." Matsu led me towards the front door, just as I heard a heavy knock.

I opened the door to see Akira and his girls on the other side. "I got your message, Matsu. When are we heading out?"

"As soon as we get everyone in order." I paused, starting to wonder how Akira knew to get here so quickly.

Seeing the look of confusion dawn on my face, he said, "Matsu called me. I got here as soon as possible."

Nodding at that, I watched as the rest of girls trickled into the front yard. Uzume took her place at my right, dressed in her battle attire. Yomi was next to her, looking ready to fight her hardest. Toyotama was on my left, casually waiting for me to call the next phase. Across from us, Akira stood with his with girls, also waiting for what to do.

Matsu walked in between the two groups, holding the box full of earpieces. "Okay, everyone take one of these. Matsu will be able to stay in contact with you if you do. Matsu will be the in the sky."

I walked up and took one, hooking it around my ear. "Okay, while you're keeping an eye on everything, make sure you have the Kill Sat ready."

"A 'Kill sat'?" Akira arched a perplexed eyebrow.

I shrugged, watching Uzume, Yomi and Toyotama each take one of the earpieces. "Don't worry; I won't shoot your house." I rolled my eyes off-handedly. I watched as Kuu walk up to Matsu.

"Where's mine?" She looked to me and Matsu.

Kaori snorted, "I hope you're not planning on bringing the chibi."

I threw her a glare; looking back to Kuu, I crouched and faced, "Kuu, this is going to be really dangerous. I don't feel comfortable letting you come along this time. How about next time?"

She pouted and glared at me, crossing her arms.

I released a breath, "C'mon, don't be like that. I want to take you along, but it won't be safe. After all, your onii-chan is playing hero. Next time, you can play hero with me, 'kay?" I smiled lightly at her.

Kuu looked at me for a moment, then relented. "Okay… Don't get hurt, alright, onii-chan?"

"This is me we're talking about; I'll be fine." I smiled reassuringly. Pausing, I looked around to everyone. They were all giving me a doubtful looks, especially Yomi, Toyotama and Uzume. "What?"

Uzume chuckled and shook her head.

Toyotama simply snorted.

Yomi smiled and lightly scratched her cheek.

I released a breath and relented. "Fine, I'll be careful." Turning back to Kuu, I said, "I won't get hurt, Kuu, so don't you worry, okay?" I placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair lightly.

Kuu giggled and nodded her head, "Okay, I'll stay with Ma-chan."

Standing, I looked over to Matsu. "In all seriousness, I trust you to have our backs, Matsu."

"I will, Take-tan." Looking over to Uzume, she said, "Uzume-tan, keep an eye on our Ashikabi."

Uzume simply smiled, "Of course."

At that, I heard Miya step into the doorway. "My, where is everyone going?"

I stood and grinned, "We're going to help out someone in need." I turned to point in the distance. "Onwards!" Walking over to Uzume, I said, "I have something I want to try."

She arched an eyebrow, "Oh, really?" I leaned forward and down to whisper in her ear. When I finished, she released a tired breath. "You want to try 'cloth-surfing'?"

Akira groaned and shook his head, "Reckless…"

"What?" I said with a grin.

As we left, Miya lifted her hand and waved, "Be careful!"

* * *

><p>I watched as Musubi approached me. "What's your name?" She asked me, her face alight a blazing red.<p>

I met her eyes and extended my hand. Grabbing hers, I said, "Takeshi Hitomi." Holding her hand within my own, I licked my lips and continued, "Are you sure you want me as your Ashikabi? You can ask my other Sekirei; I'm not exactly the most careful person." I already knew what her answer would be.

"You have other Sekirei?" She asked excitedly.

I nodded at her. "Yeah…"

At that, Uzume walked up to my side, staying prepared just in case of another attack. "Takeshi, they're retreating. What do you want us to do now?"

"We should stay; we did what we're supposed to do. There's no need to pursue." Turning back to Musubi, I saw that she was even closer, holding my hand with both of hers. "Uh, Musubi…can I help you?"

She leaned forwards, "I think you're my Ashikabi…"

I could see Toyotama approach all of us. "Wow, Takeshi-kun; a sixth one. What are you planning to do? Build a strike team and attack MBI when you feel like you need to?"

I paused, blinking in surprise. "That was oddly specific…" Looking back to Musubi, I released a breath and said, "Girls, I gotta do this…"

"Go ahead…" Uzume said without hesitation. "You're just securing your safety."

Toyotama snorted, "Yeah, but not from himself."

I heard Yomi walk up to us, "Mou, you're winging another Sekirei?" She sighed, "Fine, as long as you're safe." She pouted lightly.

Looking to Musubi, I asked, "Are you sure you want me to be your Ashikabi? I can make sure you're safe until you find someone."

She shook her head quickly, causing…other parts of her to move. "No! _You_ are my destined partner. I want _you_ to be my Ashikabi! Please, don't push me away!" She grabbed my hand and pressed it onto her chest. "Do you feel it? My heart is racing for you! It clamors for you, Takeshi-san. I want you as my Ashikabi… Please…"

I was frozen completely, my eyes wide with surprise. This isn't Yume, I could tell that much; but…she was so much like her. Number 88 Musubi was _so much _like her though. The resemblance was so uncanny, from the sound of her voice to her appearance. I stared directly into her eyes, seeing the desperation, the adoration. I closed my eyes and said, "Okay." My voice cracked lightly, "If you want me, then you can have me…" Lifting my free hand, I placed it on her cheek. "I'll be your Ashikabi, Musubi. As you protect me, I'll protect you; I will always try my hardest for you, to achieve what you want achieved. As it is for the others, my heart will be yours; my body will be a home of warmth; my words will be meant to help you. I will be your one and only…your Ashikabi." I then pressed my lips to hers.

Wings of light erupted from Musubi's back. She moaned lightly within my embrace, returning the kiss. As the two of us broke contact, I felt Musubi place her head on my shoulder. "My Ashikabi…"

"Great, he has six now." Kaori spoke snidely. "Just think about all the infighting. I'm curious, how many times have they tried to get you to sleep with them?" She said sarcastically.

I thought for a moment, "Save for Kuu and Musubi, since I just winged her….all of them have tried."

That elicited a blush from Yomi, a smug smirk from Toyotama and a wry chuckle from Uzume.

"'Try'?" Akira asked.

"Well, the only thing holding me back is Asama-san's rule." I shuddered lightly, "That mask of hers scares the hell out of me."

Akira then started laughing out loud.

I grimaced at him, "What? The Hannya she summons scares the shit out of me. You try weathering that storm." I looked to Uzume, "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

She grimaced and nodded, "Yeah. I know exactly what you're talking about."

I released a breath, "Whatever, let's just head back." I paused, thinking for a moment. "I just hope that Higa's assistant doesn't try to capture another Sekirei." Within a few moments, everyone returned to Maison Izumo, while Akira and his girls returned to their home. As I entered the inn, I was immediately greeted by the point of Miya's sword.

"Hitomi-kun were you lying when you told me that you would help other Sekirei? Or did you say that so you could wing them yourself?" Miya was standing in the doorway, smiling pleasantly towards me.

I shook my head greatly, whimpering at the sight of her sword. "No. No. No, that's not what I mean. I actually meant what I said; it just ended up with Musubi reacting to me. Nothing more, so please don't shish-kebab me." I held up my hands pleadingly.

Miya lowered her sword, smiling towards me. "Matsu told me what happened. I just wanted to know what you really meant." She sheathed her sword and said, "I prepared the bath for all of you girls, for when you came back."

* * *

><p>Moments later, as I was walking towards the dining room, I heard a knock at the door. "I've got it!" I called out to everyone. Walking towards the door, I opened it, saying, "Can I help you?"<p>

"Hello, onii-chan!" Yukari stood on the other side of the door, holding a bag of clothing. "I found the inn."

I blinked, still caught off guard. "Um, yeah…"

"Aren't you going to let me inside?" I nodded and let her inside. As Yukari walked inside, she placed the bag next to me and looked around. "Wow, this place is really nice, onii-chan." At that point, Yomi began walking around the corner. "Ah! Yomi-chan!"

At the sight of my imouto, Yomi's eyes widened as she took off running in the opposite direction.

Yukari cried out and chased after her.

Groaning, I picked up the bag and strode upstairs. Going inside of my room, I placed the bag on the ground and leaned against the back wall. Wiping my face tiredly, I released a breath.

"What's wrong, Takeshi-san?" Musubi stood in the doorway to my room.

Looking up to her, I shook my head. "I'm fine, Musubi. I'm just tired."

She held her hands in front of her and approached. "I still haven't thanked you for saving me."

I lifted a hand, "You don't need to."

Musubi grabbed my hand and looked up to me. "That's what makes me love you more, Takeshi-san. You helped me without any knowledge of whether I'd react to you or not."

I smiled at her, "You hardly know me, Musubi."

She shook her head, "That doesn't matter; I want to know you for who you are. I want to know everything about you, Takeshi-san." Musubi stepped closer to me.

"Musubi…" I whispered as I reached forward with my free hand and placed it onto her lower back, pulling her towards me.

My door flew open, Yomi flying inside. "Takeshi-sama!" She ran behind me, hiding.

Yukari stepped around my door, slowly stalking towards Yomi. "I just wanna play with you, Yomi-chan…"

I smiled, laughing to myself. This was my life now. If it exhausted me to deal with every little thing, then I wouldn't be as strong as I would. Things would pick up speed in no time and I'd be able to keep up effortlessly.

Also, seeing my landlady suddenly appear behind Yukari was quite entertaining. My imouto would finally see the mask for what it was. Unfortunately, that also meant that I'd get hit. Damn crossfire.


	10. The Picture

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, sorry for the wait. I was planning on putting this up on Christmas Day, but, uh, things don't always go as planned. _

_I've been waiting for the opportune time to introduce this OC. Takeshi's all fine and dandy, but he's a hero-type. It's the villains that I like to make the most. I made her to show that Takeshi is not the best, that he's not able to just kick every Ashikabi's ass and watch his beautiful Sekirei do the same to their opponents. _

_Also, I will not give up on this story. I've put too much actual thought into the story and characters. The sporadic posts I've made are just caused by my many distractions. Namely, my new anime box sets. Speaking of, January 3rd the box set of Sekirei: Pure Engagement is coming out! I've had my pre-order since October if that's any indication to my excitement._

_Anyway, here's a late Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope everyone has a great year, with lots of inspiration for writing and life coming their way. _

_Please Read/Review/etc._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Ten

The Picture

I rubbed my face to try and get the blood flowing. Leaning back in my seat, I tried to focus on the professor's lecture. It was a vain attempt; everything he said just seemed to meld together into a mass glob of unintelligible gibberish. Everything he spoke of was simply review for me. I had already taken the entrance exam for the Shinto Teito University twice now, I'm pretty sure I have a good clue of what the exam will be about. Regardless of that, I went to the cram school in order to humor my mother. Even I don't know what she'd do if I just floundered about until the exam came.

Anyway, it's been about three weeks since I moved into Maison Izumo. To say things have been quiet is a blatant lie. Ever since I winged Musubi, Toyotama has doubled her efforts to weaken my self-control to get me to sleep with her; I've nearly caved three times. If it weren't for the equally-increased efforts of Yomi, Matsu and Uzume to accomplish the same thing, then I'd have already deflowered one of my Sekirei. I'm almost disappointed in myself.

In the midst of the mindless lecture, I began to doodle in my notebook. At my side, I heard a muted giggle. Glancing to my side, I noticed the girl who sat next to me watching me doodle. She seemed to be entertained by my bored mannerisms.

I smirked and wrote something on my notebook. _What university are you aiming for?_ I slid the notebook over to her.

The girl looked at my notebook and lifted her pencil. Writing on the notebook, she slid it back to me.

_Shinto Teito, of course…_ Her handwriting was curved and elegant, in contrast to my hurried chicken-scratch.

_Really, now? Aiming high, aren't we?_ I slid the notebook back to her.

_Where else should I aim? _She inquired in her note.

I chuckled lightly to myself. _Around your zone is always a good thing. That way, if you miss, it's easy to pick up the pieces._ I slid my notebook over to her.

She wrote quickly, a small smile on her face. As she slid the notebook back to me, she winked lightly. Grabbing the notebook, I read, _you're cute. I never miss. What's your name?_

I arched an eyebrow and wrote in reply, _Name's Takeshi Hitomi. Sorry, I'm taken._ Pertain to that last statement, you have no idea…

Sliding the notebook back to her, I watched as she continued to smile. Writing deftly with a flick of her wrist, she slid the notebook back to me. _I'm Kaede Inoue. As for being taken, I don't really mind. So am I._

I widened my eyes at the statement. Glancing over to Kaede, I gave her a skeptical look. Her hair was a dark shade of blue, coiffed to the side in the front and fell down to her lower back. She met my grey eyes with her own of grey ones. Her build was rather modest, what with a modest bust and well-proportioned body. When our eyes met, I immediately understood what she was implying; considering Toyotama has been giving me a similar look for the past few weeks.

Looking away, I lifted my pen and replied. _I'm flattered that you feel that way, but I already have someone who holds me dear. I'd rather not be disloyal to her._ It took all of my self-control not to write 'them'; otherwise I'd have Kaede thinking I'm lording around a harem.

She saw my reply and smiled lightly, chuckling to herself. Writing deftly, she replied to me. _How honorable. You do realize that just makes you more desirable, right?_

I scoffed and tore the paper out of the notebook, crumbling it up. Standing, I slid my notebook into my bag. Throwing it over my shoulder, I began maneuvering my way out of the classroom.

"Leaving so soon, Hitomi-kun? I was about to ask my veteran student to answer our problem of the day." The professor caught my attention. He taught at Shinto Teito and started a cram school in order to better prepare future exam-takers. He was among three participating professors from the university. I was unlucky enough to happen into his class every single time.

"Sorry, professor, but something just came up. I need to leave a bit early." I told him, sounding as polite and apologetic as I could.

"Oh, I wonder what could be so urgent as to interrupt your education. Or rather, were you done flirting with Inoue-san?" He said with a wry grin.

My eyebrow twitched. I'd showed him up on my first day in his cram class, being the most polite I could be, yet he's always went out of his way to put me on the spot. I've never been one to put up with bullying, regardless of whether it came from a classmate or someone above me. The corner of my mouth twitched. "You have a problem for me, professor?"

He smirked, "Of course. It's one of the harder problems in the book." He gestured to the board.

My eyes went up to the board and I scanned the numbers and words. In the span of a few moments, I listed the problem in its entirety and began listing off the process in which to solve it. After that, I iterated every aspect of the problem that required work and precision. Finally, giving the answer with finality, I finished with, "Next time you want to put someone on the spot, make sure they haven't read the material. You'll have to get up pretty early in the morning to catch me off guard." Leaving the professor and half the class with dumbfounded expressions, I exited the classroom and headed outside.

As I stepped into the pouring downpour, I groaned and looked to the cloudy sky. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my umbrella and opened it. Walking away from the cram school building, I began to make the rather far trek back to Maison Izumo. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but feel a chill race up my spine. Jumping to the side, I narrowly evaded a slash of a rather large sword. Pulling the umbrella back, I left it extended and stood ready for another assault.

Standing in front of me, drenched in rain, was a rather tall, severe-looking young woman. She was taller than me by at least a solid half foot. She wore a short black skirt, a black blouse, a set of combat boots, and a red ribbon around her neck. Her short blonde hair was plastered onto her forehead due to the rain, but her dark brown eyes were focused heavily onto me. Covering her hands were a pair of fingerless white gloves; held with said hands was a rather, large imposing European sword, resembling a Zweihänder.

I suddenly felt inadequate with just my flimsy umbrella. I gulped lightly, sliding my feet ever so slowly to the side, trying to get away. Suddenly, I felt a chill race down my spine, but instead of going away, it remained.

"Where do you think you're going, Hitomi-san?" I heard a girl's playful voice come from behind me.

Turning partially, I saw the next individual who happened to corner me. She was small in comparison to the first girl. This one was clearly around 5'2", with modest proportions. She wore a pink raincoat over her outfit, but held a fully white-gloved hand out of her coat, pointing it at me. Her long black hair was held in set of buns, tied in place by a pair of red ribbons. She smiled triumphantly at me, her grey eyes twinkling.

"Who are you?" I asked of the two of them.

"They are my Sekirei." I looked to the source of the voice. It was Kaede. Behind her was a third individual, who held up an umbrella for her. "You see, Takeshi-chan. I wanted to speak with you in private. The classroom was not a very good place for it, so I thought I'd follow your lead."

"What do you want?" I demanded coldly. I flinched, feeling a chill along my arm.

Kaede lifted a finger, "Tut, tut, tut. That's not a polite thing to say, Takeshi-chan. I just want to talk to you about a little topic."

I narrowed my eyes, the raining obscuring my glasses. "What?"

"I want you to work with me on the Discipline Squad. Your 'talents' would be best utili-"

"No." I interrupted her.

Kaede paused, narrowing her eyes imperiously at me. "You'd be better served to treat me with a little more respect, Takeshi-chan."

I snorted, "I already quit once. I'm not working for an ass who lets Sekirei be prizes and chess pieces. They are more than that."

"'Sekirei are people too'." Kaede finished for me. Giving me a mysterious look, she said, "You don't understand, Takeshi-chan. I have more control than you believe. I'll ask once more: will you work with me on the Discipline Squad?"

I grinned evilly, "Only if you come over here and kiss my ass." That warranted a dark glare from her, a squeal of frustration from another.

Kaede snapped her fingers, "Hayate, Reiki, teach him a lesson in respect."

In the order of the call, I noticed the tall blonde nod her head, then the short brunette. The two of them lunged towards me. I looked between the two and jumped back, just in time for them to be stopped by a pair of blurs.

Stopping the slash of Hayate's sword was a long red staff; Toyotama coldly stared at her fellow Sekirei. Sliding forward, Toyotama pushed Hayate away and kicked the bottom of her staff upward. The bottom end of her staff flew upwards and nearly struck the retreating Sekirei.

Stopping Reiki's lunge was a descending fist striking the ground where she would've been if she didn't stop. Following up with a swift uppercut, Musubi forced Reiki to retreat backwards. Staying ready for another attack, the both of them spared me a glance.

"Takeshi-kun, are you okay?"

"Takeshi-san, are you hurt?"

The both of them asked me at the very same time. Removing my glasses, I slid them into my jacket. "I'm fine, just stay focused." I glared towards Kaede and cleared my throat. "What do you want, anyway?"

She smiled lightly, "My dear Takeshi-chan, I'm only interested in showing you that your skills would be better utilized if you were to become a part of the Discipline Squad." Extending her hand, she continued, "If you would simply join me, then I could get you prepared."

I grimaced. "How many times do I have to tell you people? I am not going to join the Disciplinary Squad." I then grinned snidely. "If you ask me again, I'm going to tell you where to shove that umbrella you're holding."

Kaede's eyes instantly became sharp. Grabbing the umbrella, she spoke to the man behind her. "Kazuki, show him what it means to make me angry."

The man stepped out from behind Kaede and rolled a single shoulder. Truthfully, he looked rather unimposing, standing at the same height as me. However, the way he carried himself gave off a dangerous aura. He wore a snug black jacket, with the symbol that normally rested on a Sekirei's back when winged; covering his hands were a pair of black gloves, with the same symbol on the back. Kazuki had dark red hair that fell over the front left of his face. Crouching, he lunged towards me.

"Stay away from my Ashikabi!" An explosion hit the ground a few feet in front of me. That was followed quickly by Yomi landing on the ground. Facing Kazuki, she readied her scythe.

Kazuki evaded the distortion just in time. Grinning, he said, "Not bad; for an amateur that is."

Yomi simply glared at her fellow Sekirei. "You should just stop talking, because I'm going to destroy you." Spinning her scythe around her shoulder, she grabbed the shaft with a single hand and pointed the weapon at him. "I'm Number 43 Yomi. I'm going to make you regret attacking my Ashikabi."

Kazuki simply smirked, "A haughty one, eh? Whatever." Lifting his hands, he released a breath. "Number 17 Kazuki."

The Sekirei facing Toyotama readied her sword, "Number 20 Hayate."

My staff Sekirei smirked, "Number 16 Toyotama."

I glanced over to Musubi and saw that she and her opponent were about to face off.

"I'm Number 88 Musubi! Let's do our best!" She grinned at her opponent.

Reiki scoffed, "Whatever." Lifting a single hand, she continued, "Number 14 Reiki." Curving a single finger, she beckoned for Musubi to attack.

I turned my attention to the fight between Toyotama and Hayate. The fight between the two of them was head-on without any tricks. Hayate moved lightning quick with her strikes, stepping in and out with inhuman fluidity. Toyotama, on the other hand, was effortlessly keeping up with her every move. Subtly moving her staff in various ways, she caused Hayate's attacks to harmlessly rebound or slide away. Slowly but surely, my Sekirei stepped closer and closer to her opponent. Catching Hayate off guard, she thrust her staff upwards, catching Hayate on the chin.

Glancing over to Musubi's fight, I saw that she was on the offensive. Moving quickly and striking hard, she was assaulting her opponent. Reiki on the other hand simply evaded every single attempt. Moving in and out of Musubi's reach, Reiki continually tried to trip her up, but failed as Musubi would steel her stance and counter with a swift strike. The two were evenly matched, unable to best the other.

The fight between Yomi and Kazuki was similar to that in the sense that Yomi would expertly slash with her scythe while Kazuki would evade by the skin of his teeth. However, unlike the other two fights, Yomi was clearly on the advantageous side of this fight. Kazuki just didn't seem as strong or as fast as Yomi, since the way he fought was similar to way I did when in a similar position. Keep moving and hope for the best.

"You can see it can't you?" Kaede was across from me, simply watching me.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "See what?"

She smiled, "You can see that you're going to lose." At that, she threw something at me. I threw a hand up and caught it. It was a small rock. As I looked up to her again, I noticed her flying through the air, throwing a kick. Stepping to the side, I dodged her and dropped the rock. After that, she just stood there. Looking lazily over to me, she asked, "What? Aren't you going to fight back?"

I simply locked eyes with her. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Kaede simply smiled, "I want to see what the fuss is about. If you're so strong, then so should your Sekirei. I want to know if you're capable of beating me."

I clicked my tongue, "If you wanted a fight from the start, all you had to do was say so. You were just wasting my time earlier." I crouched and lunged forward, throwing out a quick jab.

She simply swayed to the side, dodging it.

I followed up with an elbow, forcing her to duck below it. At that opportunity, I threw up a knee and caught her off guard with a swift strike. Or that's what I thought; Kaede was able to push herself away from me and stand upright.

Brushing a hand through her hair, she gave me a haughty look. "Not bad, Takeshi-chan, but you're not as good as me."

I clicked my tongue and rushed towards her. Throwing a front punch, I watched as she sidestepped me again; however, unlike before, Kaede grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me forward, throwing me off balance. Stumbling forward, I felt something crash into my stomach, knocking the wind put of me. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed her by her leg and turned my body to the side, throwing her away from me.

Kaede effortlessly regained her balance, scarcely getting wet. "You're pretty good, but too reckless. Slow down and you'll be able to hit me." She smiled condescendingly.

I narrowed my eyes and grimaced. Slouching lightly, I relaxed my body. Leaning forward, I shot forward, swaying from side to side. I struck at her again, only to have my hand slapped away. Repeatedly striking at her, I watched in vain as Kaede effortlessly slapped away or dodged my attacks. Rearing back my left fist, I released a puff of air from my mouth, sending droplets of water into Kaede's face. She flinched away from me, closing her eyes. Throwing my fist forward, I cried out in anger as my fist crashed into her cheek, sending her to staggering to the side.

Kaede planted her foot to the side, dropping her umbrella. "I see you're pragmatic to actually take advantage. Black taught you well." She looked up to me, an ominous twinkle in her eye.

I narrowed my eyes, "I fight people who are way out of my league; I need to take every advantage I can in order to just survive the fight."

"That is true… Just like now." Kaede swiftly twisted her body, crashing her foot into my side.

She moved too fast for me to even see and struck me hard enough to warrant me to black out for a split second. Gritting my teeth, I retaliated with my own kick, but she caught my foot and swiftly threw her foot up, kicking me in the back of the knee. Holding back the urge to cry out, I pulled my foot free and threw an uppercut. Catching my fist, Kaede twisted my arm and crashed her elbow into my side, at the exact same spot where she kicked me seconds earlier.

I cried out painfully, feeling frustrated with myself. It was right there that I noticed that I was not the only one being trounced.

Yomi was on her knees, a look of extreme discomfort on her face. She was covering her ears, as if trying to block out a painful noise. Kazuki was standing a few feet away from her, holding a tuning fork, which he was flicking lightly. He was watching her writhe in pain with glee.

Musubi was shivering violently, unable to stay still. Her breaths were sporadic and irregular. Her moves began to become sluggish and unresponsive, allowing for Reiki to rush in and jump up to Musubi and catch her across the face with a swift kick, sending my Sekirei sprawling to the ground.

Toyotama was looking the best among the three but was still being overwhelmed. Stepping back under the force of Hayate's sword slashes, Toyotama grimaced with each and every time Hayate's sword collided with her staff. Falling to a knee, Toyotama managed to tilt her staff to the side, causing the sword to slide effortlessly away. Spinning the staff upwards, Toyotama crashed it onto Hayate's chin. Unfortunately, the sword user caught the staff and pulled it to the side, bringing Toyotama within reach. She quickly dropped her sword and grabbed Toyotama by her hair, slamming a knee into my Sekirei's forehead.

I looked to each of my girls with fear. "No…" I muttered to myself. _I can't lose them…_

"You see, don't you? Our Sekirei take after us; if we're strong, they're strong. However, it's the same if we're weak." She tightened the grip on my arm, twisting it slightly.

I sucked in a pained breath. Trying not to show weakness, I managed to remain silent.

Kaede released a breath, "You attract Sekirei that are just like you: straightforward, simpleminded and weak. Their abilities require them to get into the middle of things and simply attack. Mine, on the other hand, are much more special. Reiki, you see, controls the heat in her field of battle. At the simple act of a thought, she can kill you by hypothermia." She paused, relishing in my pain and silence. "Kazuki can manipulate the sound waves in the air to deathly proportions. He can make you think things he wants you to think. His words are absolute at the peak of his ability." I could feel her hand tightening on my arm, preparing to finish it. "Hayate is among the strongest of the Sekirei. Very few have the power to match her in physical combat."

I gritted my teeth and glanced over my shoulder. "What about you? All you've done is talk about your Sekirei. I can't imagine you leaving yourself out of the equation."

Kaede chuckled lightly, "You're a sharp one, Takeshi-chan. Unfortunately, for you, I'm a martial artist of the highest caliber. Regardless of your training with the Black Sekirei, you will never be able to match me in hand-to-hand martial arts. As payment for harming my beautiful face, I think I'll have you suffer a bit." She deftly twisted my arm with little effort.

My eyes shot open as a mind-numbing pain shot through my body. I sucked in a breath and released it in an agonized scream. Kaede had popped my arm out of socket and was continually twisting it more and more. Tears mixed in with the rain as they flowed down my face. The pain was excruciating and unending as I tried my best not to fall unconscious.

I could vaguely see all of my Sekirei tense at my scream. All three of them spared a glance at me, their eyes wide with a mix of emotions: rage, love, hurt and an obvious desire to free me from my agony.

Musubi was the first to recover. Throwing a punch, she struck Reiki across the cheek hard enough to throw the Sekirei a few feet away. Getting to her feet, my fist Sekirei tried to get to me. The wet ground at her feet suddenly became icy, causing her to slip uncontrollably. Reiki pushed herself from the rubble of the wall Musubi punched her into. Stumbling out of the wall, Reiki spat out a glob of blood and watched as Musubi got to her feet. A subtle glow began to emit from the center of her chest. Lunging towards Reiki, she threw out a punch, "Bear Fist!" Her target dodged to the side at the very last minute, grazed by the attack. However, even a graze was enough to cause Reiki's eyes to bulge in pain and be thrown away like a ragdoll.

Yomi gritted her teeth and quickly grabbed her scythe. Sending a distortion as she stood, Yomi leapt back and started spinning her scythe, a similar glow emitting from the center of her chest. The air around the blade of her scythe began to coalesce and pick up speed, glowing lightly. Throwing her second hand into the spin, she grabbed the shaft and slashed towards Kazuki with everything she had, crying out, "Scythe's Tempest!" A wave of air shot forward and crashed into Kazuki's side, sending him careening to the side and sent crashing into a light pole.

Toyotama simply narrowed her eyes, ignoring the pain in her forehead. Stepping inwards, she jammed the end of her staff into Hayate's stomach and forced her to step back. Spinning her staff, she smacked Hayate repeatedly on the sides. Finally, she stepped back and spun her staff to the side, then brought it forward, thrusting it upwards. Catching Hayate under the chin again, she slammed the opposite end on the ground and braced it. Holding the staff with both hands, she pushed upwards, knocking Hayate into the air. A small glow appeared in the center of her chest as Toyotama released a breath and whispered, "Thunderous Barrage." Jumping up to Hayate, she spun her staff, quickly striking her with a succession of increasingly vicious strikes. Using her opponent as a stepping stone, Toyotama flipped midair, lining her staff so that it was parallel with one of her outstretched legs. Descending, she crashed her foot and staff onto Hayate's back, slamming her into the ground.

Kaede made an appreciative sound, "My, Takeshi-chan, your girls sure are dedicated to you."

I chuckled painfully, grimacing. "Yeah, they are. Now, they're going to come after you." I held back a grimace to grin triumphantly. Looking up, I saw that all three of them were focusing solely on Kaede, each with an uncharacteristic look of rage.

She chuckled, "I wouldn't leave my Sekirei out of the fight yet."

As if on cue, Kazuki snorted, "Not bad, 43. I have to say, that stung like all hell." His jacket and shirt were torn to shreds, hanging together only by a thread.

Hayate pushed herself from the ground, spitting a glob of blood. "You surprised me, Number 16. I'm sorry to say that it'll take more than that to beat me." Grabbing her sword, she walked over to Kazuki.

Reiki groaned piteously as she stumbled out of the broken wall of a nearby building. "That hurt!" She whined. Walking over to her fellows, she glared at Musubi. "You'll get your due, chesty!"

At that, Kaede laughed lightly, "I believe it's time you lose your girls."

"I don't think so~!" I heard a familiar voice cry out. Out from seemingly nowhere, several bands of cloth wrapped around Hayate, Kazuki and Reiki, holding them still. Uzume landed on the ground in front of Toyotama, Yomi and Musubi. Holding the ends of the cloth in her hands, she grinned lightly. "Nightmare's Embrace." Pulling the ends together, she cocooned all of Kaede's Sekirei with a painful sound thud as their bodies collided. Uzume then turned quickly to the side and swing the cloth quickly, releasing them. With that movement, she sent the three of the off into the distance.

"My, I seem to be in a predicament." Kaede released me unceremoniously and I collapsed to my knees, feeling my hand hit the ground. The impact jarred my arm, causing me to cry out in pain again. Each of my Sekireis were at my side in moments, trying to comfort me. "How loyal; it's quite beautiful to see such love for another. If only you could turn it into strength." She grabbed her umbrella and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Musubi called out to her.

Pausing, Kaede looked over to my newest Sekirei. "Whatever could it be?"

"Why?" She asked innocently. "Why would you hurt someone as kind as Takeshi-san? What did he do to deserve it?"

Kaede simply laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Kindness is a weakness, my dutiful opponent. It is simply a means to an end." She turned from Musubi and resumed walking away.

When Musubi clenched her fist to call out to her again, I said, "Musubi, please stop…" I grimaced to myself. "You can't talk to someone like that; it's impossible to reason with them if they've decided to go against you." I pushed myself to my feet.

"Takeshi-sama, be careful!" Yomi gingerly grabbed my left arm to help.

"I'm fine." I grounded out.

Uzume eyed me hesitantly as she pulled out a pair of umbrellas. Opening one of them, she handed the other to Musubi. "You don't look like it."

Toyotama stepped up to my right side. "Takeshi-kun, I need you to brace yourself. We need to get your arm back into place." I nodded briskly, my face clearly looking pale as the pain was incredible. She gingerly grabbed my right arm and straightened it. The very act caused a sting of pain to surge through my body. Gritting my teeth, I held down a scream of pain, but I whimpered lightly, tears streaming down my face. "Ready?" She asked softly. I nodded quickly, letting her know to do it quickly. Feeling her thrust the joint back into place, my eyes widened and I cried out in anguish.

* * *

><p>The next thing I know, I was sitting the in the dining room of Maison Izumo, tightly wrapped in a blanket. I also noticed that I couldn't exactly breathe out of my nose; I guess standing in the pouring rain and getting your ass handed to you does that.<p>

"Tell me again, Hitomi-kun, you did not start the fight, correct?" Miya asked me for the third time.

I exhaled, trying to rein in my frustration. "Yes, Asama-san. I did not start the fight. Kaede approached me, trying to get me to join the Discipline Squad. I wasn't having it, so I tried to walk away." I placed my cup on the table and lifted hand, waving it lightly. "That's when her Sekirei tried to assault me."

Kuu growled from her seat right next to me. "Fuuu! That mean onee-chan tried to hurt my onii-chan!"

"There was no 'try' about it." I muttered lightly. My right shoulder was still a bit sore; although it hurt like all hell, I was glad that Toyotama put it back into place. I just hope that I never get into a position to have it pulled back out.

Miya, who sat across from me, gave me a sympathetic look. "Hitomi-kun, I can't say I'm surprised. You do have talent and are a hard worker, but there's always someone who's better."

I smiled and snorted, or tried to, "Says the one person who's still the strongest Sekirei." After that playful jab, I nodded lightly. "I know what you mean, Asama-san. I just never expected to be outclassed so easily; I thought that I'd at least be able to show that I'm not worth the effort." I shook my head ruefully, "The exact opposite happened. I got absolutely trounced."

Kuu looked up to me. "Onii-chan isn't the best…?" The puppy dog eyes I was being assaulted were too potent to adorable to let down. I glanced over to Miya, who simply smiled lightly, nodding to me.

I smirked, "Onii-chan is the best, Kuu. The mean onee-chan just surprised me, is all." I placed a hand on her head and smiled down to her. "As long as I have all of you, there's no way I'll lose."

Kuu smiled up to me and jumped into my lap, giving me a tight hug. "I love you, Takeshi-onii-chan."

I released a breath and wrapped an arm around her, "I love you too, Kuu." I smiled down to her, feeling exceedingly good about myself; for all of about a few seconds before I had to sneeze. Looking away from her and covering my mouth, I let loose my sneeze.

"My, it seems like your cold is getting worse, Hitomi-kun. I think it's time you go lie down." I was about to decline when I saw the Hannya begin to form behind her. Nodding quickly, I watched as she smiled and stood. "C'mon, Kuu, Hitomi-kun needs to go upstairs to lie down."

Kuu pouted up to her, still holding tightly onto me.

I released a breath and looked down to her, "Kuu, don't you want me to get better? I have to lie down." I paused in thought, then came up with an idea. "What if you help Miya make something?" I gave Miya a questionable glance. "That'll work, right?"

Miya nodded; a small smile on her face. "Of course it'll work. Come, Kuu, we need to make your onii-chan some soup." Kuu jumped up and ran over to Miya.

"Get better, onii-chan!" She said to me.

I smiled and nodded to her, watching the two of them leave the dining room. After they left, I slowly pushed myself to my feet, swaying lightly. Righting my balance, I slowly made my way to the stairs and walked up them, trying not to fall over. After I made it to the second floor, I walked towards the door to my room and opened it. Stepping inside of my room, I climbed into my futon and promptly fell asleep. One thing was for certain, if I wanted to make sure that there wasn't a repeat of today, I absolutely had to get stronger, no doubt about it.

* * *

><p>I was perfectly healthy within the next few days and with that the attempts of my Sekirei to get into my pants were renewed with fervor. Although, unlike before, they seemed to be working together, this seemed to be somewhat unnerving to me.<p>

For example, the clothes that my sister brought had mysteriously disappeared. I had wondered where they were, but my answered when I woke up one day. Like always, I was held in place by all of my girls. The only difference was what they wearing. Toyotama, who once again had claimed my right arm, was dressed in a high school girl's school uniform. Yomi, on my left, was wearing a one piece school swimsuit. Uzume, who was below Yomi, was wearing a maid's outfit. Musubi, who was below Toyotama, wore the gym uniform. Matsu, who was lying on my legs, was dressed in a risqué piece of lingerie. The only normally dressed person, aside from me, was Kuu, who was too young and innocent to even consider sex. That would just be icky.

I blinked awake, actually coming to a realization that my Sekireis were actually trying to stir a reaction with the stereotypical fetishes of young men. I'm not going to lie, when I was in high school, I enjoyed the sight of my female classmate's uniforms, be it in the classroom, in the pool or during gym. But I'm nineteen now; I've grown out of the sophomoric love of the titillating uniform. In spite of that, seeing the body of a grown female in them was starting to reawaken those old fetishes.

Slipping free from their hold, I pushed myself into a sitting position and yawned heartily. Lightly scratching my bare stomach, I looked around my room blearily. Checking my clock, I saw that it was only an hour to ten. Releasing a breath, I pushed myself to my feet and tried to step over my girls. I say 'tried' because Toyotama grumbled lightly and rolled over, smacking me in the shin and knocking me off balance. Falling to the ground, I throw my hands out and stop myself from smacking into the ground. Closing my eyes, I waited for my hands to touch something soft, but they never did. Slowly opening them, I saw that I was holding my body above Musubi, who was still breathing heavily.

Seeing her there sleep, I realized something. Musubi looked so peaceful, like she was genuinely glad to be here. The soft feel of her round cheeks, her inviting lips, the slow heave of her ample chest drawing me in more than I care to say…. Gulping lightly, I was about to push myself off of her when I heard Musubi groaning to consciousness. She blinked lightly, her eyes opening to meet mine. Within seconds, her wide brown eyes met mine as she smiled, "Good morning, Takeshi-san."

I nodded lightly, "Good morning, Musubi." I couldn't help but lean forward lightly.

"Hitomi-kun, what are you planning to do to Musubi?" I froze at the sound of Miya's voice. "You still remember my rule regarding illicit activities, don't you, Hitomi-kun?"

I slowly looked over my shoulder, dreading the appearance of Miya's Hannya. "I tripped, Asama-san. This just happened to be an accident." Yeah, that sounds believable.

Miya arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really, Hitomi-kun?"

At that, the others began to slowly wake. Upon seeing me atop Musubi, Toyotama sighed, "See, I told you Takeshi-kun was a bloomer's guy."

* * *

><p>Grumbling to myself, I continuously scrubbed the floor of the bath with my small tooth brush. Miya had deemed it my punishment for 'starting off the morning with sexually illicit activities'. For some reason, it had also been decided that everyone helping with the cleaning effort would be wearing swimsuits. Although I considered saying that wearing a swimsuit would be a step up in being tasteful; in the end, I didn't.<p>

While I was sitting on the ground brushing the floor, I was dressed in a pair of my swim trunks. Helping me was all of my girls, save for Matsu, who was working in her room. Yomi was still dressed in the school swimsuit, sweeping with a flourish. Toyotama was clad in a one-piece bikini that bares the majority of her midriff, similar to her Sekirei uniform; she was holding a bucket of water and scrubbing the tub itself. Musubi was wearing a blue two piece bikini. Uzume was covered with a yellow two-piece. Kuu was in a smaller version of Yomi's swimsuit with the number '108' printed on the front.

"You know, Takeshi, I'm sure Miya was joking when she said to clean the bath house with a tooth brush." Uzume said with a smile.

I looked up to her with a grim look on my face. "I'd rather not take the risk, Uzume. That mask is frightening enough, I don't want to face it regardless of whether this was a joke or not."

That got a chuckled out of her, "I see what you, Takeshi." Uzume then leaned down and picked up a rag. Leaning down next to me, she began to help me on the spot that I've been on for the past four minutes.

While she was doing that, I heard Toyotama call me. "Takeshi-kun, there's a spot that I can't reach; can you help me a moment?"

"Uh, sure." I placed the toothbrush down and looked over to Uzume. "I'll be back in a few." Pushing myself up, I turned and approached my caller for help. "Where is this spot you can't reach?"

She gestured to the far corner, "It's there. I'm trying to get as much as I can before Miya gets back. I figured it would be great if we managed to finish before she returned." Toyotama said matter-of-factly.

I arched an eyebrow at her, casually rubbing my bare stomach. "Hmm, I don't see how you can't reach it on your own, but I'll help you anyway." Taking her rag, I stepped up to the tub and reached over to the far edge of the tub. As I began to quickly scrub, I could faintly hear the suspicious mutterings among my Sekireis. "Oi, I can hear you whispering over there. What are you talking about?" I was immediately assaulted by a spray of water, knocking me off-balance and into the empty tub. Wiping my face, I quickly caught my glasses before they struck the wooden floor. "Oi! Why?"

Putting my glasses on, I immediately had my vision blocked by Toyotama, Yomi and Uzume; all of whom were smiling 'innocently'. Well, except for Toyotama, who cannot for the life of her smile with any shred of innocence. "Takeshi-kun, you've made us wait long enough. It's been a month and you haven't attempted anything."

"Mou, Takeshi-sama, aren't we desirable enough for you?" Yomi pouted at me, giving me a set of puppy dog eyes.

"Toyotama has a point, Takeshi. Even I'm getting a bit restless." Uzume casually scratched her head.

I looked to the three of them. "There's a reason, I assure you…"

"Miya isn't here. Now, is she? This means you have no excuse not to _have fun_ with us." Toyotama creeped towards me slowly.

I lifted my feet and kicked myself into the air. Landing on the ground outside of the tub, I cried out, "I'm not ready yet!" I then raced out the bath house and into the main building. Slipping on the now wet floor, I scampered through the hallways, trying to put distance between me and my girls. Reaching a corner, I came to a sudden stop and looked around quickly. I could hear them chasing after me, laughing playfully. As I quickly surveyed my options, I decided to run to the front door.

The door slid open as I came to a stop in front of it. My fellow tenant and bearer of the Y chromosome simply stared dumbfounded at me. Kagari was no doubt surprised by the fact that I was standing in the middle of the entryway dressed in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks and dripping wet. Placing a hand on his face, he released a tired breath. "You know, I shouldn't be surprised by what happens here anymore."

"You need to hide me. Please." I said quickly to him, warranting a confused look. Clearing my throat, I continued, "Look, I know you know that I flirt with my girls and things tend to go a bit far. You also know that Miya has a rule against explicit activity. As I say this, right now, I am being chased by Toyotama, Uzume and Yomi. If they catch me, I won't be able to fight back. I don't want to break Miya's rule, simply out of respect for her and them."

At that, I heard Toyotama speak loud enough for me to hear her. "Takeshi-kun. You're leaving a trail; it's only a matter of time…" Along with that, I heard a giggle from Yomi and a chuckle from Uzume.

Kagari stifled a laugh and shook his head. "All of you are nuts…" Stepping inside, he slid the door shut and beckoned me to follow; which I did, glancing over my shoulder as I followed. Opening the door to his room, Kagari said, "Get inside and hide under the bed."

Before stepping into his room, I realized something. "Uh, Kagari, I'm still a bit wet. I really don't want to get all of your stuff wet."

Kagari rolled his eye, smiling in spite of himself. "You're too nice, Hitomi. Just get in there and hide, otherwise I'll leave you to the wolves."

I chuckled and walked inside, suddenly feeling a heat wave wash over the room. Turning around, I saw the door close behind. As if on cue, I heard someone run up to the door.

"Kagari-san, have you seen Takeshi-kun?" Toyotama.

I took that opportunity to race silently over to his bed and climb under, wondering why I wasn't dripping water anymore. As I got situated by taking hold of the edges and pushed myself into the underside of the mattress, I heard Kagari reply to her.

"No, I haven't; why do you ask?"

She paused, clearly trying to put it into words. "…I'm trying to make him finally sleep with me. Truthfully, so are Yomi and Uzume."

I coughed lightly, nearly swallowing my spit as her nonchalant reply about trying to get into my pants.

Kagari snorted out a small laugh, "Wow, Toyotama, you really don't pull any punches."

"Eh, I say whatever comes to mind, because no one's going to stop me. Although," She said thoughtfully, "I'm sure Takeshi-kun could make me say other things if he put his mind to it."

Kagari chuckled lightly, "A little too much information there, Toyotama."

There was a pause, followed by footsteps.

"Did you find him?" Yomi.

"No, he didn't come by here. I think we should split up and search the inn. Uzume, you do a loop around and try to flush him out. Yomi, you stay near the stairs and warn us if you see him. I'll look upstairs."

Wow, when Toyotama really wants something, me for instance, she really puts thought into it. I feel flattered and at the same time partially scared. I guess it comes with the territory.

As I thought that, I saw something pushed under a box underneath Kagari's bed. It was a picture. Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the picture. My mother was on it, dressed in her lab coat, simply glaring at the person taking the picture. Reaching down, I slipped my finger under it and pulled it out from under the box. The next person in the picture was someone who seemed to resemble Kagari; that is, if he wore an all-black outfit and covered the lower half of his face with a mask. How could I tell it was Kagari if he wore a mask? Well, for one, I'm not an idiot who can be easily fooled by a simple mask. He also had a scowl, though it was hidden by the mask. It was the third individual in the picture that confused me slightly. I had no idea who he was.

The third individual was a man with an easy smile. He was of equal height with my mother and Kagari, with white hair sticking around his head and grey eyes. He wore a turtleneck sweater and sweatpants with a white lab coat over it. That in and of itself surprised me the most. This man must also work for MBI, a colleague of my mother, but I've never seen him. Granted, there were sections of MBI that were prohibited to me, but I'm sure that I've met everyone there at least once. What made the confused feeling worse was that he looked so… so _familiar_, like I've seen him before.

Getting out from under Kagari's bed, I held the photo and continued to scan it, trying to decipher some sort of message from it. At that moment, Kagari opened the door to his room and said, "If you want to get away, I recommend you do it. Toyotama is leading them back to bath house, thinking you retraced your steps to hide in the least likely places." Seeing the picture in my hand, he froze.

Looking up to my fellow tenant, I held the picture out to him. "I'm sorry; I just grabbed this from under the bed. My mom's in it, so I wondered who was in the picture with her." I smirked lightly, "Though, I never figured you as one for dressing as a vigilante. When was the picture taken? Halloween?" He took the picture and looked up at me. Pausing, I pushed a hand through my hair, "I have a question, though. Who's the third person? The guy? He looks really familiar for some reason."

Kagari simply looked from the picture to me, a look of confusion on his face.

* * *

><p>I stood in my room, simply staring out the window. It was a few hours after the events of the bath house chase. Miya had arrived earlier than expected, leading Toyotama to prompt her own escape, slipping away from Miya's wrath. Unfortunately, that meant that she had to lay low for a few hours because the landlady was searching for her.<p>

The sun was setting when I heard a knock in my door. "It's open." I said loud enough to be heard. Miya opened the door and leaned inside.

"Dinner is ready, Hitomi-kun. Are you hungry?" She sounded concerned.

I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes. "Yeah, I'm just a bit tired is all." Turning to face her, I smiled lightly. "Why do you ask, Asama-san?"

I don't know why, but at that very moment I saw a light reddish color come into her cheeks. Miya was frozen for the barest of seconds, giving me a very heavy look. She mouthed something to herself, but shook her head. Stepping inside, Miya simply held her hands in front of her. "You're one of my tenants, Hitomi-kun. It's my duty to make you feel at home."

I chuckled lightly, pushing a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I'm famished." Placing my glasses back in place, I fully turned towards Miya.

Pausing, Miya asked, "Are you feeling well? Ever since I got back from seeing my husband's grave, you've been quiet. It's actually been calm here the past few hours, much more so than the past month. You're not ill again are you?"

I shook my head lightly, "I'm not ill. I've just been thinking. Something…snared my interest today and I can't get it out of my head."

"What is it?" My landlady asked.

Pausing for a moment, I built the courage to ask. "This has nothing to do with what I was thinking about, but I'm curious." I lifted my hands and continued, "It's a quirk of mine, but I'm dangerously curious." Pausing again, I managed to say, "You said your husband died. How did he die? You don't have to answer; if you don't want me to know, then I won't ask again."

Miya looked down for a moment, then up to me. "My husband died doing what he believed was right and though it saddens me, I'm glad he died on his own terms."

"What was his name?" I asked her silently.

"Takehito Asama." She met my eyes for a moment, as if expecting something to happen. After a few seconds, Miya released a breath. "Well, I believe we should be heading down. Otherwise the dinner I painstakingly made will go cold." She covered her mouth and smiled lightly, a glint in her eyes. Over the top of her shoulder, I could see the formation of her Hannya.

Lifting my hands, I quickly said, "Okay, okay. Let's go." At that, my stomach growled, assenting the fact.

At that, Miya giggled lightly, turning away from me.

* * *

><p><strong>Homura<strong>

An hour after dinner, I strode into the dining room, taking a seat at the table. Grabbing the cup of tea in front of me, I released a breath. "You think he's found out, Miya?"

At the head of the table, the landlady shook her head. "I don't think he's put the pieces together yet. It's only a matter of time, though."

"He really does look just like Takehito-tan…" Matsu whispered lightly, holding the picture that I had passed off to Miya to keep hidden.

"Are you sure he's who we think he his? I mean, it could just be a coincidence, right?" Uzume said quickly, trying to rationalize for Miya.

Matsu released a shuddery breath. "I highly doubt that may be the case." She looked up to Miya, "He pulled a Hannya from the air when he was in my room."

Uzume paused, the shivered, "Now that you mention it, I think he did the same back at his old apartment while we were talking with his imouto."

I arched an eyebrow, "What did you try do to him, Matsu. You know Hitomi wants to follow Miya's rule."

Matsu shook her head, "Matsu didn't try anything; Take-tan just got excited over the fact that Matsu could take control of MBI's satellites."

Miya scrunched her eyebrows, "I don't know what to think, but I want all of you to keep this a secret." She looked to Uzume and Matsu, Takeshi's Sekirei, and said, "Can I trust the two of you to keep this secret?"

Uzume nodded, "Of course I'll keep it a secret, Miya."

Matsu nodded her head, "Matsu will too."

Miya looked over to me, "Homura, I trust that you'll better hide your pictures in the future?"

I nodded quickly, "Of course, Miya. I'll put them in a better place."

Miya sighed heavily, "We can't be sure right now, so we have to keep our suspicions that Takeshi is Takehito's son to ourselves."


	11. The Visit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Uhh, sorry for the long wait. I don't really have an excuse except, well, I was busy. Along with keeping up in school, I was trying to think ahead for this story. I was trying to decide how close I should be to the original story while doing something to keep you all enthralled. Also, while writing this, I made a discovery, and quite an obvious one: writing a harem is difficult. What I mean is writing a good harem, with every character well fleshed out and dynamic. Keeping up 6+ characters while trying to write a, somewhat, engaging story is pretty difficult. Plus, there's the fact that it's through a first person perspective. _

_Regardless of that, I've noticed a lot of reviewers saying that Takeshi is too… well, overdone. I'll own up to that. I didn't really think far enough ahead. Besides, I'll have him go through a few difficulties, to make up for his skill. Can't have him making too much of a change._

_Let me make one thing clear, this is _not_ a self-insert. Takeshi is just an OC that I've created to make a change in the Sekirei story that I wanted to test out. When I have an idea for a story, I want to see what would make the largest waves, if there's another perspective I can take. This came to mind. I've no dislike for Minato, he's actually one of my favorite characters, but I wanted to try something different. If you don't like that, then I'm sorry. I'm the one writing this fic._

_If this was a self-insert, I would not have written the story the way I have. I would not have psyched myself up to the point I did Takeshi. I would have used myself as myself, no changes, no lies…much. Plus, I would've only given myself one Sekirei. _

_I just wanted to make that one thing clear. Enjoy and all of that_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Eleven

The Visit

"Hitomi-kun, could you take a trip to the hospital for me; I seem to be running low on medical supplies." She leaned into the doorway and gave me a dark look. "It should only be fair, considering you're the one who's normally coming home with a few injuries." The demonic mask slowly appeared behind her.

Lifting my hands, I scrambled to my feet. "Okay, okay, I'm going. Just chill, I'm going." I stumbled quickly out of the room, trying to get out from the Mask's line of sight. Releasing a breath, I stepped to the front door and slid into my shoes. As I opened the door, I heard someone walking up to me from behind.

"Where are you going, Takeshi-kun?" I turned to see Toyotama standing there, leaning against the far wall. Her arms were crossed as she looked to me with slight confusion.

"Asama-san is sending me out to get some medical supplies, so I'm going to run by Hiyama-Kai and pick a few things up. Apparently, she's running low." I flinched lightly, knowing full well that it would be my fault. I am a slight daredevil, considering I've led quite a few expeditions to help out unwinged Sekirei.

Toyotama pushed herself from the wall and approached me. "I'll come with you. After all, you're too irresponsible to go out on your own." She smirked lightly. Although I wanted to protest, more so out of tradition than anything else, I knew she had a point. Ever since we started this escapade, I had unwittingly made myself an enemy of the Ashikabi of the East, Izumi Higa. There may be rules that prevented Sekirei from attacking Ashikabi, but it was highly likely Higa would ignore that rule, like he did with all the others he regularly broke. "I take it we're going straight to the hospital?" She asked as she grabbed her staff.

I nodded and walked outside, "Yeah, I just need to go and collect everything I need. They should have a surplus." As I began walking, Toyotama grabbed her staff and fell in step at my left, allowing her weapon to rest on her shoulder. The walk itself was completely uneventful, which was a miracle in and of itself, considering I'm a walking danger magnet now. I don't know what's happened, it's like I'm the main character of an anime, or a badly written Fanfic. Eh, whatever.

The two of us walked in relative silence, save for the sound of our feet hitting the pavement. After a few moments of silence, I cleared my throat. "Hey, Toyotama?"

"Yeah, Takeshi-kun?"

"I'm concerned…partially…" I was unsure of what she would say. I asked that because things have been…calm as of late. What I mean is that ever since I discovered a certain photo, Toyotama's attempts to get into my pants have ceased. I was curious as to why, more so that I could figure out if she was waiting for something.

"Oh? About what?" She inquired me with a knowing grin.

I gulped lightly, already realizing where this could be going. "You've been relatively chill lately. I mean, you haven't really tried to attack me as of late."

Toyotama leaned into me as we walked, grabbing my hand. "Oh… Are you disappointed, Takeshi-kun? Have you finally felt the urge to ravish me for hours on end?"

I gave her a sideways look, feeling my face get warm. Truthfully, I have been feeling my self-control fraying at the edges. There have been moments where I've wanted to just indulge myself and my girls. In spite of the fact that I try not to break Miya's rule, I found myself missing her attempts. "I've…thought about it." I said with a sly grin.

She narrowed her eyes and purred lightly. "You've thought about it? I wonder what's gone through that head of yours when you've thought about me." Leaning into me as we walked, she entwined her free hand with mine.

I wrapped my fingers around her hand, allowing our fingers to entwine. Those light green eyes of hers were suddenly brimming with sultry emotion, trying to decipher what I thought of her. It was at that moment that I realized that she was genuinely trying to figure out what I felt about her, as more than my Sekirei. Now that I go back and go over everything, I've noticed that I've become a little more drawn in; which does not help anything when I have six girls to keep happy. Smiling lightly, I released a breath, "I can't help but stare in wonder at how beautiful you are, inside and out, Toyotama. It's a wonder you chose me, when you had the entire capital to choose from."

Toyotama blushed deeply, clearly surprised at what I said. A small smile spread on her lips as she continued to look me in the eye. "How could I choose anyone else, Takeshi-kun, when you're clearly the best choice?" Squeezing my hand, she leaned her head on my shoulder. "You may be hardheaded, selfish, slightly perverted and lazy…but I wouldn't have you any other way. I…love you, Takeshi, and I'm always grateful to have you as my master, my Ashikabi, my one and only." She paused, thinking of the next thing to say. "In spite of the fact that you still won't take me to bed."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, but recognized the meaning behind her words. Toyotama meant every word and I couldn't help but feel immensely elated at her dedication. Squeezing her hand in turn, I stopped walking and turned to face her, my first Sekirei. Lifting my free hand, I placed it on her cheek. "Thank you." I whispered to her. Leaning, I pressed my lips lightly onto Toyotama's. As I kissed her, I moved my hand from her cheek, down the back of her neck and traced a small circle. She shivered lightly, moaning under the kiss. I couldn't help but smile as Toyotama melted into my arms. Lightly dragging my fingers down her spine, my fingers reached the curve of her lower back as she pressed herself into me.

The sound of her staff hitting the ground was prior to her wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her. Entwining one of her hands into my hair, she moaned as my hand slid down her hip and gently pulled her leg up. Almost immediately, Toyotama wrapped that leg around my waist and pulled her lips away from mine. "I…can feel you…" She looked at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

I arched an eyebrow, "I know…" Leaning towards her, I pressed my lips onto hers, moving them in smooth synchronicity. After a few moments staying entwined, we broke from each other and I watched in unhidden interest as Toyotama leaned down to pick her up staff. "It won't be long, I promise." I paused and winked, "The wait, that is."

She smirked lightly, leaning into me once more. "I'm looking forward to it."

A few moments after that, the two of us made it to the entrance of the hospital, Hiyama-kai. We approached the front desk and I cleared my throat, "Hello, I'm here to pick up the supplies ordered by Miya Asama."

The clerk nodded and retreated to the backroom, asking that I, and Toyotama, wait for a moment.

Casually walking over to a string of cushioned seats, I plopped down and lounged down on the seats with my arms extended to the sides on the back of the seats. Laughing lightly at me, Toyotama took her seat next to me, leaning onto my arm. I looked up just in time to see Kagari step from around a corner. Lifting a free hand, I call out to him, "Oy! Kagari, what are you doing in the hospital?"

He froze when he heard me. Turning to face me, he temporarily had the deer in the headlights look. However, he quickly composed himself, approaching us with a welcoming smile. As he approached us, though, I noticed a small gesture of obvious nervousness: he lifted a hand and scratched his chest. "Hey, Hitomi, Toyotama. What brings you guys to the hospital?" He eyed me lightly, a light twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Hitomi, your secret past hasn't come back to bite you, has it?"

I snorted lightly, but noticed a sideways look from Toyotama. "Look, I don't have a secret past. I'm not a fugitive on the run because of something that happened in a far off country. The most exciting thing I've done in my life is 'meeting' a girl on the roof of her house." Pointing to Toyotama, I said quickly, "Don't even consider asking me to do that. It was a dumb idea, considering it rained on the two of us."

"Did that stop you?" She whispered to me, obviously curious.

As I opened my mouth to answer, Kagari lifted his hands and said, "Too much information, you two. If you want to talk about stuff like that, please wait for everyone not involved to leave." Placing a hand on his head, he released a breath, "Now, is there a reason that the two of you are here?"

I nodded at him, getting up from my seat. "Yeah, Asama-san sent me here to pick up extra medical supplies." I flinched lightly, "It seems she is running out."

Toyotama snorted, "Of course she is; the amount of times you get hurt, it's a wonder you haven't given everyone a heart attack." While she said it jokingly, I could tell it actually worried her.

I released a breath, "I'm sorry, I have a habit of going the extra mile when it comes to things I dedicate myself to." Looking to Kagari, I said, "So, I told you why I'm here, would you tell me why you're here?" I grinned, shaking my head. "Could it be that Mr. Number One at the host club had a rendezvous with the wrong girl?"

His eyes widened when he realized what I was implying. "No! No… I'm here to see someone…" Kagari scratched the back of his hand, looking to the side with a light blush.

Grinning even wider, I approached him and smacked him on the back. "It seems like our friend Kagari has found himself a girl. C'mon, man, what's her name?"

He shook his head, muttering, "You're not going to let up, are you?"

I shook my head in turn, crossing my arms.

Kagari sighed heavily, "Her name's Chiho Hidaka. I met her while I was…taking a walk through the capital." He crossed his arms and waited for my next response.

Grinning still, I whistled, "Our little Kagari has found a girlfriend; is she cute? You gonna introduce us?" I nudged him with my elbow.

He groaned, "You're not going to leave unless I do, right?"

"You read me like a book." I motioned for him to lead the way.

Kagari released a breath, "Fine, I'll introduce you, but can you do me a favor?" I nodded to him, my grin faltering lightly. "Can you not tell the others about her? Chiho's not in the best of conditions right now." He seemed hesitant to continue.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Kagari, you're one of my friends. If there's something you're not willing to share with me, then I understand. But know this; I'll be there if you need me. It feels exceedingly weird to say this to a guy, but it's important that you know that. I'm your friend; you can trust me to keep whatever you show me secret. I give you my word as a man."

Kagari simply looked at me for a moment; after a short moment, he smiled lightly. "You're a good person, Takeshi." Looking over my shoulder to Toyotama, he said, "You chose well, Toyotama."

I arched an eyebrow at him as Toyotama paused, surprised. I'm sure she wasn't surprised by the fact that someone complimented her choice in me, but in what he said. Smiling lightly, Toyotama nodded, "Thank you. Kagari…"

Looking at the bishounen in front of me, it finally dawned in me. If there were both female and male Sekirei, and the female Sekirei were extremely attractive, then the same could be said about the male populace. Kagari is a pretty boy, through and through. It finally struck me. "Kagari, are you a Sekirei?" I whispered so that only he and Toyotama could hear.

Kagari paused, biting his lip. Turning, he beckoned the two of us to follow. "I want you to meet someone." Kagari then started walking away, heading towards a set of stairs.

I glanced over to Toyotama and nodded, allowing her go on ahead.

Leading us to the third floor, Kagari stopped in front of the door. "Look, guys, I'm going to trust you on this. I want you to keep this to yourselves. Miya, Matsu and Uzume already know, but I don't want this becoming common knowledge." He glanced to me pleadingly.

I met his eyes and nodded lightly. "You can trust us, Kagari. As long as you want to keep this secret, I'll keep it so." I looked over to Toyotama, "Right?"

"Of course." She said with conviction.

Kagari sighed heavily, smiling thankfully. "Thank you, Hitomi, Toyotama." Reaching for the doorknob, he paused and said, "My real name's Homura, by the way. That's what Chiho will call me." He then opened the door. Walking inside, he approached the bed and took a seat next to it.

The girl lying on the bed looked, well, normal. I didn't see anything wrong with her. She had light brown hair and light brown eyes. Dressed in a hospital gown, she was sitting up in her bed and I could see her bright up instantly when the door opened. "Homura, you're back. I thought you said you had to leave." Chiho didn't look displeased in the least.

"I was, but I ran into some friends." Motioning to Toyotama and me, he said, "Chiho, these are two of my fellow tenants, Takeshi Hitomi and Toyotama."

Allowing Toyotama to go inside first, I shut the door behind the two of us. The two of us said hello. "So, you're the cutie that our buddy Homura kept secret from us?" I grinned when Chiho blushed at my compliment. "Well, Chiho, it is an honor to meet the woman that managed to catch this guy's heart." I bowed lightly in front of her.

Toyotama shook her head at my antics, "Forgive my fool, he's always joking around. He means well." She mirrored my bow, though she met my eyes for a brief moment.

Chiho giggled at our antics. "I can see that the two of you are close."

I stood up straight, casually taking hold of Toyotama's hand. "You could say that." Looking over to her, I smirked. She in turn did the same, a light blush on her face.

Clearing his throat, Homura interrupted the two of us. "Anyway, now that that is out of the way." He walked over to Chiho and gently grabbed her hand. "This is the Ashikabi I was telling you about."

Chiho's eyes widened, "You mean, Takeshi is the lazy, horn-dog who never lets anyone rest with his and his six Sekireis antics." She covered her mouth with her hand, laughing lightly to herself.

While Toyotama was laughing in kind, I looked to Homura incredulously. "Really? Lazy _and_ a horn-dog? Isn't that somewhat contradictory?" I released a tired breath, covering my face with a single hand. "You know, I expected more from the only other male living in the inn."

Homura lifted his free hand in acquiescence. "Hey, it's not my fault. Chiho asked me to tell her something entertaining about Maison Izumo. You and your antics were the first things that came to mind."

I rolled and groaned, smiling in spite of myself. "It's inspiring to know that things that happen between my Sekirei and me are entertaining to you."

Toyotama squeezed my hand, "C'mon, you know you enjoy it." She smiled lightly, giving me a veiled look.

"I know I do, but it doesn't mean we have to broadcast for everyone to hear." I continued to smile, shaking my head lightly. Within a few moments, the four of us were engaged in a small conversation about absolutely nothing. Although I wanted to know why Chiho was in the hospital, I knew better than to just up and ask. It's her business, not mine.

After a few moments, I felt nature's call. Lightly turning to the door, I cleared my throat, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Looking to Toyotama, I said, "Behave yourself."

Grinning devilishly, she managed to pull a groan and an eye roll from me as I left the room. Closing the door behind me, I heard the sound of footsteps from down the hall. Looking up, I felt a dark grin pull at my lips. Allowing it to surface, I met the eyes of the latest visitor. Kakizaki froze mid-step, his phone slipping from his open hand. Seeing it fall, he scrambled to catch it.

"Well, we meet again, Kakizaki-san. What brings you here? No extortion, I hope. Otherwise, we may have a repeat of the last time we met." I paused, my grin growing even wider. "Speaking of, how's your car coming along? I hope it's been repaired. That was a very nice car." I slowly approached him, watching him scramble as he started to walk away from me.

He reached into his jacket, "Stay back, I have a gun." He sounded desperate, which made it even more difficult not for me to laugh at him.

"A gun?" I asked him with an unbelieving smirk. "In a hospital? If you really brought a gun into a hospital, I'd really have to kick your ass on principle alone." Closing the distance, I stood directly in front of him and locked eyes with him. "Tell the truth, do you really have a gun?"

He shook his head, pulling his hand out of his jacket, empty. "No! No, I don't!"

Stepping back, I lightly wrung my hands. "Alright, now that that is out of the way, go about your business and I'll go about mine." I locked eyes with him again and scowled, "That is, if you're here for a Sekirei, you better turn back now; else you'll be thankful we met in a hospital." I then brushed past him, a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't really like bullying people who were weaker than me; it's sometimes necessary to get a point across to someone who works for an arrogant prick, because he may end up also as an arrogant prick.

Strolling out of the bathroom, I walked back into Chiho's hospital room, which had enough tension that I could've cut it with a knife. "Did I…miss anything?"

"Nothing important." Homura walked right passed me, exiting the room.

Chiho looked over to me with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Hitomi-kun, but something just came up."

I paused, nodding lightly. "Alright, we'll leave. Besides, I kinda need to pick a few things up." Looking over to Toyotama, I saw that she was watching me. As we left the room, I asked her, "What happened while I was gone?"

"The walking dick in a suit strode into Chiho's room and handed Homura a picture. He was the same guy who's tried to capture the Sekirei we've helped in the past few days." She smirked, "When he saw me, I could've sworn he nearly wet himself." Grinning darkly, she continued, "He knew I was your Sekirei, but he also knew that I wouldn't hesitate to kick the shit out of him, rules be damned."

I snorted, "I'd say go easy on him, because he's doing his job. However, that is not the case. He clearly enjoys his job way too much. After I'm done with him, his boss, Higa, is next." Clenching my fist, I felt a righteous fury build in my chest as we approached the front desk to pick up the supplies. "That asshole has a lot of bad karma coming his way and I'm the deluxe delivery service."

Toyotama held back a laugh, "That was quite possibly the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life." She paused, "But it came from you, so it's a little better."

* * *

><p>The next day…<p>

I strode into the dining room, pushing a hand through my hair. Looking around, I released a breath and walked through it and outside. Stepping up to the tree, I entwined my fingers and bent them backwards, cracking them lightly. Jumping up, I grasped one of the low hanging branches and pulled myself up. Letting myself fall at my own pace, I began to work on a set of reps. It's been so long since I last exercised normally, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get back into the swing of things.

After several sets, I pulled myself up and lifted my legs over the branch. Letting go with my hands, I allowed my upper body to fall back, keeping my legs wrapped firmly around the branch. As I hung suspended by my legs, I saw that Musubi was standing on the patio, looking strangely at me. Smiling lightly, I said, "Hey, Musubi. Would you do me a favor?"

Nodding, she said, "Anything, Takeshi-san." Heading over to me, she waited for me to tell her my favor.

"I need you to help me down when I'm done. I get a bit stiff after doing some of these and can't exactly get down without hurting myself." I chuckled lightly as I lightly scratched my head.

Musubi nodded again, smiling as she said, "Of course, Takeshi-san."

Releasing a slow breath, I put my hands behind my head and began to pull myself up. Continuing to move consistently, I made sure to breathe in and out in time with my movements. When I began to feel a burn in my sides, I grinned to myself, since I already lost count. Keeping my eyes closed, I focused on my movements, trying to place my surroundings. Musubi was at my side, waiting for me to finish. I could hear footsteps on the patio, a few pairs, and a release of breath.

"Oh, what do we have here? Wow, bro, you're really going at it." Uzume chuckled to herself.

I released a sudden breath and relaxed my upper body, going back to my upside down position. My breathing lightly labored, I smirked, "Hey, I gotta stay in shape one way or another. After all, I don't think you'd like me as an overweight slob." I slapped my now-bare stomach with my hand; my shirt was hanging down, threatening to cover my mouth; since it was partially drenched in sweat that did not look to be a favorable outcome.

Uzume shook her head, "There are other things you could do to help stay in shape." Giving me a sly look, she winked.

I released a tired breath, "You know, you're starting to sound like Toyotama."

"Heh, heh, she does have a point, though." Uzume plopped down on the patio, placing her chin on her hand, watching me.

As I rolled my eyes, Musubi placed a finger on her chin. "What else could you do to stay in shape? What do Toyotama and Uzume say you should do?"

I held back a laugh, watching Uzume do the same. "I think you've thought about it at one point." Extending my arms downwards, I clenched my arms. "Get ready, Musubi, I'm about to jump down."

She nodded, then watched as I straightened my legs, dropping onto the ground. As soon as my hands hit the ground, I pushed myself up and back, flipping away from the tree. When my feet hit the ground, I felt my legs give out from under from me, which prompted Musubi to gently grab hold of my upper arms and keep me on my feet. "Are you okay?"

I smirked, "Aside from feeling a little wobbly, I'm perfectly fine." I paused, looking down at my shirt. "Though I wish I had brought extra shirt. This doesn't exactly make me look, or smell, the greatest. I could use a towel, too."

"I figured as much." Uzume leaned back and reached into the dining room, grabbing at something from around the corner. Pulling a towel free, she handed it to me. "Here, Miya always has one handy now."

Taking it graciously, I patted my face with it, dabbing up the sweat. After a moment, I regained my bearings and told Musubi I could stand on my own. I then removed my shirt and slung it over my shoulder. "I guess I need a bath."

Musubi clapped her hands together, jumping lightly. "Do you want me to wash your back, Takeshi-san?"

Instinctively, my hand went up to my nose. I couldn't help but imagine what could happen as a result of the two of us nude in the bath. It would be a serious breach of Miya's rules. A very hot and liberating breach, but a breach nonetheless. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think it would be a good idea to break Asama-san's rule."

Uzume grinned slyly, "You're afraid of what Miya would do, Takeshi."

I snorted, "So are you."

"Guilty as charged." She said as I walked over to the patio and took the spot next to her. I released a breath and fell back, lying on the patio. "Tired?" Uzume asked as Musubi walked up to the patio and plopped down next to me.

I shrugged lightly, "Not much. I'm a little sore, but still restless. Plus, all of the monotonous pull-ups are getting boring and routine. I need a sparring partner, someone to test my reflexes." I paused looking to my two Sekirei, "Someone who wouldn't accidentally break an arm." I said with a light smile.

Musubi pouted, "We wouldn't hurt you, Takeshi-san, accidental or at all."

Even Uzume pouted, giving me a slight dirty look. "I agree. We've been together for a month and you still don't trust us."

I sighed lightly, "I was joking; of course I trust the both of you." Lifting myself back into a sitting position, I got to my feet. Placing the towel and my shirt in my spot, I looked to Musubi. "What do you say? Want to spar for a little? We could each learn a little something."

Musubi brightened up immediately. "Of course, Takeshi-san." She jumped up and took a stance in the yard, "Please take of me!"

I chuckled lightly, getting into my own stance facing her. "Uzume, can you time us? Here's my phone." I pulled out my phone and held it out to her.

Uzume stood and took the phone, deliberately grasping my hand in the process. "Why?"

I released a shaky breath, "I want to see how long I last against Musubi's training with Asama-san." After Uzume took a seat, I said, "Whenever you're ready, Musubi."

The second Musubi moved her shoulder; I felt a wave of déjà vu wash over me…

* * *

><p>"Remember, Takeshi, when you're facing your opponent, look not at their eyes, but their body. Anyone can lead you astray with their eyes, but it takes a real master to lie with their body." Yume stood in front of me, her hands held up. "I want you to dodge as quickly as you can. To do that, I want you to keep an eye on my body, notice any subtle movements that I may or may not make right before I strike."<p>

I nodded quickly, licking my lips apprehensively. This was the first time Yume-sensei had ever decided to show me how to fight a Sekirei head-to-head. Watching my teacher, I tried to discern from where she'd strike first. My eyes scanned her body quickly, taking in as much detail as I could. In an instant, I heard it, the swift movement of a foot sliding across the mat. My eyes shot to her feet, just in time to see her foot flying towards me from the side. I dropped down as fast as I could, feeling the air gust around me. Looking up, I saw a fist flying towards my face.

It stopped inches from my nose; a gust of wind blew across my face. Yume pouted at me. "You fell for it, Takeshi. The kick was a decoy to make drop your guard."

I shook lightly, "I-I see, Yume-s-sensei." I felt really shaky, afraid.

Yume opened her hand and placed it on my head. "It's okay, Takeshi." She gently pulled me into her chest, comforting me with a hug. "It's okay; I didn't mean to scare you." She said soothingly.

I released a shaky breath, returning her hug. "I'm okay." My voice was muffled by her embrace.

She gently grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me back. Looking me in the eyes, she said, "Do you want to wait, Takeshi? We don't have to do this now."

I shook my head quickly, "No. I have to learn this now, or else I can't continue my training. I want to be stronger, for you, Karasuba-sensei and any Sekirei I might have in the future."

Yume-sensei smiled lightly. "There's no 'might' about it…" She muttered to herself, a light blush to her cheeks. Standing up straight, she put her hands on her hips. "I want to hold back so that you can get the hang of it, but I can't. You have to adjust quickly, Takeshi. I'm the second strongest Sekirei, so if you can read my movements, then you can read any Sekirei's movements."

I blinked, confused, "You're the second strongest? Aren't you Number 08?"

Yume-sensei smiled, "Yep, our Numbers only mean the order in which we were born." Looking around, she leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell Karasuba, but she's only the third strongest."

"Who the first?"

Yume smiled secretively, "A friend of mine." Stepping back, she lifted her hands, "We're going to try this again, Takeshi. I want you dodge as fast as you can; remember, keep your eyes peeled and on me."

I lifted my hands and nodded brusquely. At that, we went silent; my eyes jumped to various parts of her body, taking in every curve, bend and contour. I needed to watch for a subtle flex of a muscle, the smallest movement to give away her next attack. I had to push out every distraction and focus on her and only her.

When Yume lashed out, I was ready.

* * *

><p>When Musubi lashed out, I was ready.<p>

The moment she threw out a right jab, I evaded to the left. Instantly, Musubi threw a right aimed to the inside. Seeing her shoulder move a second prior, I jumped up, pushing down on her fist as she threw it. Musubi was stronger than me, so instead of me pushing her fist down, she pushed my body higher into the air. Suspended midair, I was left completely open to whatever my Fist Sekirei threw at me.

Or so I think she thought as I watched her step back and throw a left. Twisting my body, I narrowly evaded the punch, feeling a familiar gust of wind fly by me. It was…soothing.

As I spun midair, I pressed my hand onto her extended arm and pushed off of it, flipping over her and landing back on the ground behind her. Digging my heel into the ground, I spun and threw out my foot, aimed at Musubi's head. Seeing my attack coming, she ducked and twisted around, throwing an elbow.

Using my grounded foot, I kicked forward and flipped again, narrowly dodging Musubi's attack. I then planted my hands on the ground and pushed myself away. Landing back on the ground, I stood back up and released a pent up breath.

Musubi stared at me in disbelief and smiled widely. "Where did you learn that, Takeshi-san? It's like you knew what I was going to do before I did it!"

I scratched my head bashfully, "What can I say? I had great teachers."

"Wait. 'Teachers'? I thought Karasuba was your trainer. She taught you hand-to-hand too?" Uzume asked me with a confused expression.

I shook my head, "No, you misunderstand. Karasuba taught me how to use the sword. It was Yume who taught me how to fight unarmed." I looked to Musubi and smiled lightly, "You've learned a lot from Asama-san, Musubi, but there's one more thing you can do make sure you keep winning."

"Yume-sama taught you too, Takeshi-san?" Musubi paused and nodded, "What is that thing?"

"When someone's about to attack, they nearly always telegraph their next move. If you're able to find their tell, then you can be one step ahead of them if you're fast enough." I smiled at her, pocketing my hands. "All of you girls are the ones who are meant to be fighting, but I'd prefer it if I could help you out, even if it is just a little." Now that I think about it, I didn't use this against Kaede; I guess she did kinda toy with me a little. Also, I may have been a little overconfident…

Uzume simply watched me, her eyes looking me up and down. "You're really something, you know that, Takeshi? I mean, you're just human, yet you try to do so much more. You're willing to fight someone who you know is stronger to protect us. You're never content with just letting us fight for you; you always try to make sure we're safe, even though you know you could get hurt." She paused, smiling lightly. "I know you've probably heard this before, but you're either really sweet or really stupid."

Musubi jumped up, "Takeshi-san is sweet. He tries his best for us."

I released a breath, blushing heavily. "Aw, c'mon. I can only take so many compliments before it gets to my head." I paused, and gestured to the inn. "Let's go back inside. I need to take a bath."

* * *

><p>I ducked from the side to side, evading Yume's strikes as they came flying towards me. Bobbing and weaving, I jumped back and threw up my arm, slapping Yume's last punch away. Sliding into her defenses, I threw my hands out and pushed her away. Standing up straight, I lifted my hands, prepared for another onslaught.<p>

Yume relaxed, smiling widely. "You passed, Takeshi. Now you can continue with your training with Karasuba."

I relaxed, letting my hands fall to my sides. "Karasuba's training? Can't I continue training with you?" I looked to her with unwavering eyes.

Yume paused, then smiled, approaching me. "You're strong, Takeshi, stronger than most. But it's not physical strength I'm talking about. It's emotional strength. I've seen you grow from the child you were when we first met to the man you are now. But you've still got growing to do; one day, you're going to wing one of my sister Sekirei. When you do, I want you to make sure that she will be as happy as she deserves. I want you to protect as many Sekirei as you can. If you do that, then I will aid you in any way that I can. Will you promise me that?"

I nodded, "I swear."

Yume smiled, her cheeks darkening ever so slightly. "Protect the little birds, Takeshi. As an Ashikabi, you will be the one to teach them what it is to love, and they will do the same to you. As I am the Sekirei of Fate, I want to take a similar title. When you become an Ashikabi, will you become the Ashikabi of Fate? Will you make sure that every little winged bird finds his or her destined partner?" She placed her hands on my cheeks, looking into my eyes.

I met Yume's eyes and locked gazes with her. Looking as deeply as I could, I could see something in them. At that age, I wasn't sure what that was. But as I am now, with experience amongst Sekirei more fleshed out and grown, I can easily tell what it was. I was longing. Yume was reacting to me; she was to be my Sekirei. But she made no move to be winged. "I will." I placed one of my hands on hers, and continued. "I will make sure that every little bird finds her destined partner and learns to love. I will become the Ashikabi of Fate. I will make you proud."

Yume smiled widely, her eyes swimming. "Thank you, Takeshi." She pulled me into a tight hug.

That was the day I cemented my resolve to help all Sekirei to find their Ashikabi.

That was also the last day I saw Yume.

* * *

><p>Getting out of the bath, I dried my hair with the towel. Stepping into the changing room, I simply stood in the doorway to the bath itself and let my body air out. Sighing, I went about to pull on a new set of clothes.<p>

After that, I left the bathhouse and headed towards the dining room. As I made my way, I stopped in front the hidden door to Matsu's hidden room. Knocking quickly, I called out, "Matsu, it's nearly time for dinner."

There was a slight rustle behind the door. "Coming, Take-tan!" She pushed the door open after a few moments and shut it behind her. "Let's go." Matsu smiled lightly and motioned for me to lead the way. With a smirk, I walked ahead of her, which allowed her to latch onto my back. "Sorry, can you carry me? I've been sitting all day so my legs are asleep."

I snorted, "That's never stopped you from walking perfectly fine before." I paused, considering for a moment. "I've always liked watching you walk anyway." I smiled slyly.

Matsu purred in my ear. "You have, Take-tan? Maybe I could do a little 'walking' for you later? Plus a little extra."

I smiled slightly, "We'll see." As I carried her down to the dining, I saw Kuu and Yomi turn the corner, no doubt planning to some get me. "Hey, you two." I said with a smile.

Yomi pouted, "Mou, Takeshi-sama. Why are you carrying Matsu?"

I shrugged, "She said her legs were asleep. Right?" I looked over my shoulder at her with a small smirk.

Matsu stuck out her tongue and laughed lightly.

Kuu groaned loudly, "Onii-chan, you're gonna carry Kuu next… Right?" She asked me with heavy eyes.

I released a breath, "Of course, Kuu. Onii-chan will carry you next. But we've gotta eat dinner, first, 'kay? Then, tomorrow, we can go piggybacking around the city."

"Okay, Onii-chan!" Kuu jumped up and wrapped her arms around my waist.

Placing a hand on Kuu's head, I looked to Yomi. "You can sit next to me today, okay?"

Yomi pouted, then beamed. "Okay, Takeshi-sama."

After that, dinner seemed to fly by. Thinks seemed to be calming down, reaching a pattern of sorts.

I have to say, though, I can't help but have a bad feeling that something big is going to happen… and soon.


	12. The Wait

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N**: _Well, I can't really say anything that would excuse me for the very long wait between chapters. Classes ended around three weeks ago, so I'm set on that front. I'd say the main reason it took so long to write this chapter was the fact that I was deliberating on whether or not to write a lemon. I decided to write one, but it took me a while to write it. It's my first lemon, so I'm feeling a bit self-conscious about it. So, please go easy on me on that front. Please._

_Anyway, I've noticed that quite a few people have reviewed and I thank you. I've read your reviews and have taken your suggestions, opinions and thoughts into consideration. _

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Read/review/etc._

-EDIT 9/6- Said lemon has been removed. Sorry if you're disappointed, I just wasn't feeling comfortable having to keep it up here. I gave it a try, let it sit and stew, and ended up removing it. I tried to find a good cut-off point, but my patience for reading, well, you know, that I wrote wasn't something I felt like keeping. So, it may be a bit abrupt.

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Twelve

The Wait

Whoever came up with the concept of celibacy needs to be shot. Liberally filled with bullets. Then burned. Then have their ashes built into toilet paper. No man in his right mind should ever have to live his life without the opportunity to spend a night with a consenting member of the opposite sex. It's the natural thing to do. I mean, seriously, I don't see how anyone could ever willingly torture themselves like that.

Then again, I am in a special position. What with having five inhumanly beautiful alien wanting to constantly in get into my pants. I am a man; I have morals and follow the rules as much as and as well as I possibly can, but Miya's rule about no illicit activity in her inn is ridiculous. I mean, I fully understand why: she doesn't want her house to continually house the sexual antics of Takeshi Hitomi and his Sekirei… Or anyone else, really. I understand completely, but this is ridiculous.

Then again, I am biased. Heavily.

* * *

><p>"It seems I need to make a few new room arrangements. It has begun to get a little too illicit in Hitomi-kun's room." Miya sat across my Sekirei and me, sliding a sheet of paper over to us. "Matsu, you have your own room, please use it. Uzume, since you're so keen on sharing a room with everyone, you'll share yours with Toyotama. Is there a problem with that?"<p>

I glanced out the corner of my eye to catch a glance of Toyotama's face. She seemed to be frowning, clearly displeased from being separated from me, but understanding of it. "I don't see any problem with it, Miya-san. This is your inn, so we have to follow your rules."

Uzume sighed heavily, "You're killing me, Miya."

"You did this on your own, Uzume." Continuing, she said, "Musubi, Yomi, the two of you will share the vacant room, 204. Understand?"

Musubi nodded, "Yes, landlady." She sounded down. I couldn't help but feel slightly at fault for her having to leave my room. She never once, well, tried to get into my pants. I was the one who'd put the two of us in a precarious position.

Yomi pouted, "Okay, Miya-san."

Miya then looked at the little Sekirei on my lap, Kuu. "And you, Kuu, will sleep in my room. Okay?" She said with a light smile.

Kuu released a small breath, looking defeated "Okay, Miya-onee-chan."

Miya nodded, then stood. "Well, now that that is over with, I need a little shopping done; Musubi, Yomi, would the two of you like to help?"

The two of them jumped up. "Of course, the two of us can race back. The winner gets to sit at Takeshi-san's side during dinner!" Musubi proposed to Yomi, trying to hype up the two of them.

Yomi nodded her head vigorously. "Yeah! I won't lose, Musubi-chan! I'll sit next to Takeshi-sama!" The two of them raced out of the dining room, clearly already starting the competition in spite of the fact that Miya had yet to give them grocery lists.

Laughing at the two of them, Miya stood, "My, what rowdy girls they happen to be; but they are dedicated to you, Hitomi-kun. If only they could put that dedication into helping you pay the rent." She placed a hand on her cheek and smiled menacingly.

I shivered lightly under the presence of Miya's smile. However, I had nowhere to run to as Kuu turned inwards, placing her head into my chest, Uzume, Matsu and Toyotama all tried to hide behind me. I released a breath and braved Miya's menacingly beautiful visage. "There's only so much I can do; they make their own decisions. I don't want to force any of them to do anything that they don't want to do."

Miya looked me into the eye. After a moment, she chuckled lightly, "You're willing to stare down an enemy Sekirei and Ashikabi, yet you fold when it comes to your own Sekirei. You can be such a pushover, Hitomi-kun." Getting to her feet, she made her way out of the dining room.

I chuckled myself, scratching my head lightly. "That's always been the case, I guess."

From behind me, I felt someone wrap their arms around my neck in a loose embrace. "That's what we love about you, Takeshi. You fight for us, protect us and let us do what we want." Uzume pressed her cheek against mine, smiling widely.

I sighed again, unable to hold back a smile. "I've spoiled all of you."

Uzume simply grinned, rubbing her cheek against mine.

Off to the side, Toyotama stood and pushed her hand through her bangs. "I'm going to do a little training in the yard; want to join me, Uzume? I wanna see who's stronger." She grinned lightly, giving a light challenge to her fellow Sekirei.

Uzume simply chuckled lightly, "I won't go easy on you, you know."

Toyotama snorted, "I wouldn't have it any other way." She turned and strode out of the dining room.

Uzume gave me a light peck on the cheek and stood, "See you, Takeshi." She then followed her opponent's path outside.

Kuu looked up to me, "Onii-chan, can I go watch Tama-chan and U-chan spar?" She asked me with a light pout, as if she thought I'd actually say 'no'.

I smiled and ruffled her hair, "It's alright, just don't get in their way. Toyotama and Uzume can get a little rough." My smallest Sekirei jumped up and raced after Uzume. Releasing a breath, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to lose focus for a moment. Simply taking in the air, I let my body fall backwards and lie still on the floor.

"Are you alright, Take-tan? You seem a little strung out." Matsu asked from her seat next to me, looking down at me.

I smiled for her, "You could say that. I'm just feeling like I'm going to crash any minute now. I know that nothing has happened, but I think that's why I'm so exhausted. I continually mentally prepare myself for the worst and when nothing happens, I end up wasting the energy." I rubbed my face lightly. "I guess I need a day off."

Matsu cocked her head to the side, "From what?"

Shrugging, I said, "I'm not sure."

Pausing in thought, Matsu smiled lightly, "What do you think about Matsu giving you a massage? You know, to release the tension from your body and let you relax a little bit more."

Smiling appreciatively, I replied, "That sounds great, Matsu, just don't break any of Asama-san's rules. I don't want to be kicked out right after one of your massages." Slowly but surely, I pushed myself to my feet. As I got to a sitting position, I blinked lightly, feeling quite exhausted. _Wow, have I really been losing sleep?_ Shaking my head, I got to my feet and sucked in a breath.

Matsu placed her hands on my arm, "Are you feeling okay, Take-tan? You really don't seem to be your usual energetic self."

I looked over to Matsu and met her eyes. She seemed to be genuinely concerned for my welfare. _Of course she is, I'm her Ashikabi._ "I'm just a bit tired, is all. It just feels like I haven't got much sleep lately."

Matsu then grabbed my arm and began pulling me. "C'mon, let's get you to your room. I need to lie you down and help you fall asleep." As the two of us traversed the steps, she pouted at me. "I think Miya was right, now, for moving us to different rooms. You're not getting enough sleep because we're always so close to you." When we entered my room, she put her hands on my shoulders and pushed me down onto a sitting position. Adjusting her glasses, she looked me directly in the eye. "Take-tan, before you took part in the Sekirei Plan, how regularly were you doing it?"

"'It'? What do you mean, 'doing it'?" I asked, feeling particularly slow at the moment.

"Mou, Take-tan! Sex! I mean, how regularly did have sex prior to the Plan!" She lightly tapped me on the forehead. Also, there was a slight blush on her cheeks, along with a curious zeal in her eyes.

I arched an eyebrow, "What does that have to do with anythi-" She glared at me, growling lightly. Although I found that to be adorable and surprising from Matsu, I decided to humor her. "Every other week." I blushed lightly, scratching my cheek with a single finger. "I wasn't one for relationships prior to meeting all of you, so…" I paused and shook my head, "Anyway, what does that have to do with anything, Matsu?"

Matsu leaned back and crossed her arms. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you physically, but it's more a psychological ailment."

"I have a 'psychological ailment'." Pausing, I let that sink in; that's when it hit me. "Wait, are you saying that I am addicted to sex? I mean, sure I did get a healthy amount of it, but that doesn't mea-"

Matsu suddenly planted her lips onto mine, pushing me onto the ground. Moving her hips in conjunction with probing my mouth with her tongue, she attempted and succeeded at getting a rise out of me; literally and figuratively. I placed my hands on either side of her hips and began fighting for dominance in the kiss, my tongue entwining with hers. Rolling the two of us over, I slid my hand down her leg and pulled up at her knee, causing her to wrap one of her legs around my waist. Desperate to deepen the kiss, I forgot to breathe so I grudgingly broke it.

Blinking a few times, I tried to think past my jumbled thoughts. Barely a full moment had passed and I had gotten on top of Matsu and already felt raring to go. "Okay, you're right. I may be feeling a little starved at the moment…"

Breathing heavier than before, Matsu smiled and pushed up her glasses. "A _little_." When I tried to break away from her, I felt that her leg wasn't budging. Matsu's patented smile returned to her face as she began to laugh menacingly. Reaching down to grab at the bottom of my shirt, she said, "Now that Matsu has you in such an advantageous position, Matsu's not going to just let you go, Take-tan." She pulled my shirt up to my chest, which prompted me to grab her hand.

My eyes met hers and I said, "Matsu, we can't do this here. It's not because I'm afraid of what Asama-san would do; it's because she allows us to stay regardless of the ruckus we cause. I respect her rules and will abide by them." I looked down to her intensely.

My Sekirei blushed deeply, her hands moving from my shirt to my bare stomach. She blinked slowly, then smiled lightly. "You're too nice, Take-tan." She moved her leg, freeing me to move of my own will. Sitting up, I waited Matsu to sit up as well.

As soon as she did, I leaned forward and surprised her by placing my hand on her cheek and kissing her deeply. Breaking the kiss before I entered uncontrollable territory, I said to her, "It will happen, Matsu. I promise you, I'll give you your night. I hate to make you wait, because I would, too, but I have to figure out the right place and time." Sitting back, I leaned against the wall and smirk, "To make up for the wait, I'll make sure it'll be the best night of your life."

Matsu blushed even deeper, but smiled. "You won't need to try hard, Take-tan. You're my Ashikabi, any night with you will be the best."

My eyes widened lightly when she said that. _God, Takeshi, you're so stupid. These girls are already dedicated to you; you don't need to say something stupid and corny to reassure them._ Chuckling, I lifted a hand and lightly knuckled the side of my head.

"What are you doing?" Matsu asked me with a chuckle.

Stopping, I shook my head. "I just realized something that seemed to escape me all this time." A yawn managed to escape me, making me realize just how tired I really was.

"You can rest your head on Matsu's lap, if you like, Take-tan."

I smiled, pushing away from the wall. "I'd like that." Too lazy to walk, I crawled over to Matsu and laid my head on her lap. Closing my eyes, I felt her take my glasses off and entwine her fingers in hair.

"Just relax, Take-tan. I'll take care of you, okay." Her soft voice reached my ears just as I drifted away into a pleasant slumber.

* * *

><p>"Well, here's the list, Hitomi-kun. We're going to be having a party for you since you got that promotion at your job." Miya handed me a slip of paper, smiling lightly.<p>

I looked over the list and sighed heavily, "Asama-san, you don't need to do that. I didn't even request the promotion; it was kind of forced on me."

Miya simply lifted her hand and waved me off, "Now, now, Hitomi-kun, don't undersell yourself. I know you're a hard worker, albeit a bit lewd in other aspects, but you deserve a celebration." Narrowing her eyes, she continued, however the Hannya materialized behind her. "Unless you're trying to insinuate that you've grown tired of my cooking."

I quickly lifted my hands and shook my head, "That's not it at all, Asama-san! I love your cooking." I grinned and tried to keep my eyes off the demonic mask, "I'm looking forward to the party!"

That seemed to satisfy Miya, since the Hannya vanished as her smile reappeared. "Well, I'll be sure to make as much as I can. After all, I'll have Kuu and Yomi to help me, right?" She looked down to the little Sekirei at her side, then to Yomi who stood behind her.

"I'll be back in no time, 'kay?" I said to her with a soft smile. When I saw her pout, I crouched down to her level and placed my hand on her head. "When the party starts, you can have one of the seats next to me. Does that sound fair?" Kuu beamed and nodded quickly, to which I responded with ruffling her hair. Standing, I faced Yomi and said, "Don't look so dejected, Yomi."

She pouted and crossed her arms, "But I lost, Takeshi-sama. I can't go with you to pick up everything we don't have for the party."

I sighed and pushed a hand through my hair. She lost to Musubi fair and square, but I couldn't help but feel as though I did something wrong. These girls have me whipped, painfully so. "I'll make it up to you, Yomi; what we're going to do, I'll leave up to you, okay?"

Yomi smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, Takeshi-sama!"

Miya laughed to herself, "My, Hitomi-kun, you're such the pushover." Lifting her hand, she waved Musubi and I off, "Be careful and come back quickly."

I snorted lightly and said, "We're heading out." Walking up to Musubi, I asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded quickly and turned to Miya and the others. "We'll be back in no time." With that, the two of us left Maison Izumo and headed off towards the market. As the two of us walked at a steady pace, Musubi asked me, "Takeshi-san, can you tell me about Yume-sama?"

I arched an eyebrow, "Of course, but what brought this on?" I inquired with a smile.

Musubi shrugged lightly, smiling as she walked with a little hip in her step. "I…don't really know. The question sprung to mind when you told me that Yume-sama helped you train. If she trained you, then that means that the two of you had to be close, right? What do you know about her?"

I sucked in a breath and thought for a moment, "I…I guess I didn't really know that much about her. Yume never really told me much about her personally; everything the two of us talked about was either combat or Sekirei related. She mostly wanted me to tell her about myself; what I believed in and why I wanted to be strong."

Musubi was silent for a few moments; then after a pause, she asked, "Why did you want to be strong, Takeshi-san?"

Placing a hand on my chin, I tried to think back to what I said to Yume. "It was such a long time ago, so the specifics of what I said are a bit fuzzy. But the basic reason for why I wanted to be strong was for you girls."

"For us?" Musubi stopped walking for a moment.

I also stopped a foot ahead of her. "Yeah, for all of you. When I was training, Yume and Karasuba would always push me farther and farther, trying to get me to fight harder. When I got to the point where I wanted to quit, the two of them each said something to me." Pausing, I looked around to see if there were any people coming. When I was sure that no one was coming, I continued.

"Karasuba said that in order to gain the respect from any Sekirei that would become mine, I _had_ to be strong. I _had_ to be strong in order to be more than a normal human. She said that she saw something inside of me, something with the potential to stand up to her." I snorted lightly, shaking my head. "Karasuba, the person who was teaching me, wanted me to be as strong as I possibly could so that if there was a necessity for me to stand against her, then I would be able to do so and give her a show." _Yeah, like that's possible. I'm only human, how could I stand up to that monster._

"What did Yume-sama say?" Musubi asked me, her voice quiet and contemplative.

At that, I couldn't help but smile lightly. "It was Yume who ultimately convinced me to continue my training. She told me…" As I relayed to Musubi what was told to me, I couldn't help but look back on that day…

* * *

><p>I sat on the ground, covered in sweat and feeling frustrated. "I can't do it, Yume-sensei, Karasuba-sensei. It's just too hard." I massaged my right arm, feeling a bruise come into place.<p>

Karasuba snorted, "'Too hard'? It's too hard for you, Take-chan?" She stepped up to me and leaned down, grabbing me by my collar. Lifting me to my feet, she looked down to me with cool eyes. "Take-chan, do you know what I see when I look into those eyes of yours? Potential. The potential to be more than one those useless fleas called 'humans'. You're going to be an Ashikabi, Take-chan, there's no doubt about it. However, the strength of those Sekirei, those brethren of mine, will be entirely dependent on your own strength. Sooner or later, you will have to stand up to someone who'll present a danger to you and your precious 'birds'. At that moment, you will look back to this very instant and regret your decision to quit or rejoice in your common sense to continue. Like it or not, you will meet someone who will be strong to hurt you and your 'birds'; however, the decision you make here and now will be the making of your capability _or_ incapability to adequately protect yourself and your Sekirei." Looking away, she smiled darkly, her eyes narrowing with anticipation, "After all, depending on how you progress, you may very well have to stand against me." At that, she turned from me and strode from the training room, leaving Yume and I in silence.

I looked down and put my hands together, unsure of what to do or say.

Yume watched Karasuba go, disappointment in her eyes. Sighing, she turned to me. "Takeshi…"

"I'm scared…" I whispered.

Yume paused, simply watching me. "It's okay to be scared. You're only human, Takeshi, so it's natural for you to be; but you just can't let it control you. Your fear lets you know when you're in over your head; it tells you when it's time to stand down." She approached me and dropped a single knee, looking me in the eye. When Yume's brown eyes met my grey ones, I felt drawn in, unable to look away. "You are strong, Takeshi, let no one tell you otherwise, but we're trying to help you become stronger. There will come a time when you'll meet someone who's a danger to you and the one's you care for, but you have to be prepared to fight. However, what that 'fight' may be is something you won't know until that moment." She removed her glove and placed her bare hand on my cheek. "Not only do you have to be strong of body, but also of your heart. You have to be able to love, Takeshi. Sekirei are birds who teach of love and are taught of love; you are meant to be a shepherd of my kind, to show them how to love and also to learn it from them. Inside of your heart, I see more than the capacity to be strong, but also the capacity to love unconditionally. I see the willingness to go far beyond expectations to defend your loved ones." Cocking her head to the side, she asked me, "What do you do when your imouto, Yukari, is in trouble?"

At that moment, I felt something come over me. It was warm and strong. Crossing my arms, I said with no hesitation, "I go save her."

Yume smiled at that, "Good. No, that's great, Takeshi. You love your imouto and don't hesitate to help her. Use that to your advantage, Takeshi. Whenever you feel like something is too hard, just think of your imouto or anything else that will strengthen your resolve. I want you promise me something, Takeshi. When you become strong, be gentle in that strength. Only use it to protect those you care for; only use it to help instead of hinder. You carry the fate of one hundred and eight on your shoulders, but I know you can handle it; I know you can because I can see it in your eyes. The eyes of one who can defend and uphold our Fate."

* * *

><p>Musubi looked to me with wide, admiring eyes, holding her clenched hands in front of her chest. "Wow, Takeshi-san, Yume-sama actually said that to you?"<p>

I blushed and scratched my head lightly, "Yeah, but she just said it to cheer me up, so it didn't really have any meaning behind it. I wasn't much of a fighter when I was younger, so Yume and Karasuba had to give me a few pep talks over the years." Pausing, I released a small breath, smiling lightly. "Well, it was Yume who gave me the pep talks, Karasuba just gave me a look that said that she wasn't going to put with anymore crap." While I was talking, I casually started to look into the horizon, feeling embarrassed in spite of myself. When I finished, I looked back to Musubi, only to find her standing directly in front of me.

Grabbing my hand, she held it tightly and lifted it to her face. "You're wrong, Takeshi-san. I don't know how I know, but I know deep in my heart that everything Yume-sama said was true. Whatever she saw, I can see it too. Your kindness is your strength; the anchor that will keep you from straying too far from everyone. You actually care about us, more than any other Ashikabi that might have winged one of us."

I flushed heavily, my face feeling very hot. Casually scratching my cheek with my single finger, I whispered lightly, "Every Sekirei would say that to her Ashikabi…" These girls are going to be the death of me; it's unhealthy for a man's ego to swell the amount mine would if I didn't have the humility to know they're only saying this because I'm their Ashikabi. But still, I'm thankful…

Musubi shook her head, leaning closer. "I'm not just saying this, Takeshi-san. I mean every word of it. Over the passed few days, I've noticed that look in your eyes, one of defeat. Ever since your fight with that mean Ashikabi from the Discipline Squad, you haven't been your normal, carefree self." Her eyes swam with unshed tears as she continued, "I'm worried about you, Takeshi-san. We all are."

At the indirect mention of Kaede, my right shoulder tingled uncomfortably. Keeping eye contact with Musubi, I lifted my free hand and placed it onto Musubi's cheek. Leaning into her, I placed my forehead onto hers. "Thank you…" I whispered to her. "Thank you…" I pressed my lips onto hers for a gentle kiss. Her back erupted into a burst of light as her wings reappeared, bathing the both of us in a pleasant glow. Breaking the kiss slowly, I kept my forehead against hers. "Thank you for that, Musubi. I have been feeling down lately, and I needed a pep talk." Smiling widely, I laughed lightly. "I guess I haven't grown at all; I still need the words of others to cheer me on." Pulling my hand from her cheek and removing my other from her hands, I wrapped my arms around her, embracing her closely.

Musubi rested her hand on my shoulder, smiling into my neck. "You're very welcome, Takeshi-san. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it; we're your Sekirei and we will always be there for you. We're yours forever and ever, never forget that, Takeshi." As she spoke, I could hear a distinct shift in her tone. It wasn't a change in emotion, but seemed like she had changed something else.

My eyes shot open when Musubi said my name the second time, without the honorific. The way she said it; from the soft tone of voice, the inflection, to the pronunciation, I felt a wave of déjà vu roll over me. "Yume…?" I whispered breathlessly, keeping my voice low enough so that only I could hear it. Sliding my hands across Musubi's back, I placed them on her hips and gently pushed her back, so that I could get a good look at her face. My Sekirei beamed proudly at me, her eyes twinkling. Musubi still uncannily resembled Yume, but she seemed more like her now than before.

"You really have grown, Takeshi…" Musu- no, _Yume_ said to me. "You've really become a man, through and through." She said just above a whisper. She smiled even wider, crinkling her eyes lightly. After a moment, she blinked and paused for a moment. Suddenly, she gasped, looking to me with apprehension, "What's wrong, Takeshi-san? You're crying!"

I released a shuddering breath, a broken gasp escaping from me. Blinking quickly, I lifted a hand to my face, feeling the wet streaks of tears painting my cheeks. Quickly composing myself, I shook my head. I smiled at her lightly, "I'm fine, Musubi; just a bit awed at your devotion. It kinda surprised me." I sheepishly scratched the back of my head.

She pouted and gently brushed my cheek, wiping away a tear. "Even so, Takeshi-san. It hurts when I see you cry. So, please, whenever you have something on your mind, don't hesitate to come to one of us and talk about it. You're not alone anymore, so don't keep all the pain to yourself." Musubi actually glared at me. It was…cute to say the least. Musubi, my Musubi, was trying to get me to cheer up.

Grinning, I placed a hand on her cheek. "I will, it's a promise. At the same time, I'll grow stronger alongside you. Next time we meet Kaede, we'll be the winners, 'kay?" Back to her smiley-self, Musubi nodded quickly. "Alright, let's go get these groceries; everyone's probably wondering what the hell we're doing."

* * *

><p>When Musubi and I had returned, Miya had commandeered her services and had banished me to the backyard, not wanting me to see the party preparations until everything was finished. In addition to Musubi, several of my other girls were also helping. Kuu, Yomi, Matsu and Toyotama were also helping out with the decorations. Miya had chose Uzume to be on 'Takeshi duty' in order to keep me from peeking. From what I saw of my girls, there was a raffle of sorts amongst my remaining Sekirei on who would keep me distracted.<p>

As I sat on the back porch, Uzume plopped down next to me and rested her head on shoulder. "What'cha thinking about, Takeshi?"

I breathed in slowly, "Not much. Hell, I'm still wondering what I did to get six amazing Sekirei so attached to me." Smiling lightly, I released a small breath. "I mean, I winged all six of you and I'm trying to keep all of you happy. But it can't be easy, Uzume, to share me with five other girls."

Snaking her arm around mine, Uzume scooted closer and nuzzled my shoulder. "That's why we love you, Takeshi. You worry for us; you care for us; you spoil us." She smiled at the last one. "In all seriousness, you asked us if we wanted you as an Ashikabi before you winged us. You made it clear that you'd help us regardless of our connection to you." Pausing, she continued, "Truthfully, I'd rather wait for you, than to settle for another Ashikabi. I can probably speak for the others too."

"'Wait for me'… You shouldn't have to wait, Uzume. A girl like you shouldn't have to wait for anyone. You shouldn't have to be forced to share; you should-"

Uzume grabbed my chin, pulled me to face her and placed her lips against mine, shutting me up. Her wings erupted to life as the two of us sat there, locked in a silent embrace. After a few moments of silence, she pulled away from me, smiling lightly. "A girl like me doesn't like it when his Ashikabi starts putting himself down. Self-deprecation has a time and place, Takeshi, and now is neither the right time nor the right place."

I chuckled to myself, "You're right…"

"Of course, I am. Now, could you tell me what's really on your mind, Takeshi?" She smiled up to me, leaning forward so that she could look into my eyes as I stared to the ground.

Meeting her eyes, I snorted, "You just get right to the point, don't you?" Releasing a breath, I rolled my right shoulder. "It's just a simple pride thing. I lost a fight, so I feel like crap. It's nothing you should worry about, so…"

"So?" Uzume asked with a smirk, wanting me to continue.

"So, I want to get better. I want to keep training so that the next time I meet Kaede I won't be beaten. I don't want all of you to worry that I'll get hurt." I said to her in a small whisper.

"I see… That's what you're worrying about." Leaning into me, she said, "You don't worry about feeling down, Takeshi. We believe that you're strong, that should be all that matters." Pushing her hand under mine, she squeezed my hand gently. "Try not to feel down, Takeshi. You're not as sneaky as you think you are; you have really expressive eyes. It's one of you best features, but also one of your worst. When you're happy or determined, they have certain shine to them. When you're sad or frustrated, they're dull and dreary."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to think back. That's when it hit me. My eyes shot wide open when I came to a sudden realization. "So that's how my mom knew whenever I was lying. I just thought I had a horrible poker face!"

Uzume laughed lightly, smiling widely. "There's the Takeshi I know. You always know what to say to make one of us laugh, swoon, or feel great. All of you have to do is learn is to use it on yourself."

I arched an eyebrow, "I'd rather not learn how to make myself swoon. That would be narcissistic and very strange." I couldn't help but smile as I noticed her holding back a laugh.

She punched me on the arm gently, grinning widely. "Enough jokes, take it seriously."

I snorted, "You're only laughing 'cause I'm your Ashikabi." I gave her a sideways look. "Or am I really that funny?" I said with mock hopefulness.

Uzume placed a finger on her chin in thought. "Hmm, I'll have to give you a rain check on that."

I released a small laugh and shook my head. After a few moments of silence, I leaned into Uzume, letting my head rest on her shoulder as I relaxed my shoulders. "Thank you…" Closing my eyes, I allowed the tension to flow freely from my body. "Thank you so much."

"For what?" She whispered in my ear, releasing my hand and wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

"For letting me lower my guard."

"Your guard?"

I nodded, "Yeah. It's difficult to explain, but there are moments when I feel weak. The only times where I feel truly at home are when I'm fighting. Whether if it's for a spar or something more, I feel truly sure of myself when I'm standing ready to put my skills to use; ever since I started training with Karasuba and Yume, I was always told by Karasuba to never lower my guard. She told me true strength would come from isolating myself and pushing myself to the limit but…"

"'But'…" Uzume supplied.

I shrugged, unsure. "I don't know. After Yume disappeared, I felt that I had to get Karasuba to recognize me. I wanted to be stronger so she could recognize me, so that any Sekirei I met would recognize me." Releasing a breath, I opened my eyes slightly. "I promised that I would become strong enough to make my Sekirei feel truly secure, but how can I do that when I myself don't feel secure unless I'm in the heat of danger. Fighting is all I know." I paused, thinking for a moment. Sitting straight up, I placed a hand on my chin and continued, "Well, fighting and sex."

Uzume snorted in laughter and fell back in surprise. "Well, I've seen one, now I want to experience the other." I felt her hand on my back as she sat back. Burying her face into my neck, she sighed. "It's going to be just fine, Takeshi. You have the six of us, so there's nothing to be worried about."

As she said that, I felt something come over me. _You have the six of us…_ Turning to face Uzume, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. I don't know why, but as Uzume said that I felt an irrational fear rise up in my chest. When that emotion came to surface, a single thought came to mind: _I don't want to lose them._

Although she didn't know my reason, Uzume returned my embrace and whispered. "It's going to be alright."

I released a breath and loosened my hold on her, but did not let her go. Allowing the overall shape of her body to be pressed against, I tried to push everything out of my mind and stay in the now.

After a moments pause, I blinked, "Uh, Uzume, will this party have alcohol?" I removed one of my arms from her, but allowed the other to fall to her lower back, keeping her close to me.

She chuckled, "Of course." Uzume grinned and scooted closer to me, "Why, are you planning something?" She grinned suggestively.

I chuckled and shook my head, "No, I just have…a bad history with alcohol, is all."

Uzume arched an eyebrow, "Oh? What happened?"

I shuddered, "Well, it wasn't pretty. I don't remember what happened the day I went out, but I remember the aftermath. There were seven of us, four guys and three girls. The morning after, I remember lying in a hospital bed and hearing the nurses say that six rowdy kids were admitted the night before. Two of the guys had fractured arms; the third guy was there for minor alcohol poisoning; I and two of the girls were admitted for extreme exhaustion; the last girl was the one to drive us."

My third Sekirei blinked, clearly surprised at my past antic. "What happened, did all of you get wasted and torment the neighbors? How much _did_ you drink, Takeshi?"

"That's just it; everyone I asked said the exact same thing: I only had one sip of alcohol before I went totally bonkers. From what I can surmise, I guess I literally lose all of my inhibitions. Apparently, I become a very 'eccentric' person when I'm drunk."

Uzume was silent for a moment. After a few minutes of silence, she seemed to have thought of something. "You said that you and two other girls were admitted for extreme exhaustion. Just what did you do?"

My eyes widened and I gave Uzume a hesitant look out the corner of my eye. _Oh, crap…I think I just opened Pandora's Box…again._ "Did I say that? I don't remember saying that…"

She grinned, clearly fully grasping the meaning of my earlier statement.

I swear, I need to learn to keep a few things to myself.

It was at that moment that the door to the main building was slid open. "Onii-chan! Everything's ready!" My littlest Sekirei launched herself at me and clamp herself onto me from around my neck. Moving an arm under her on reflex alone, I glanced over to Uzume and grinned shakily. "You hear, Uzume? The party's ready."

As I stood and walked in, I couldn't help but notice Uzume watching me with a sly grin. The party itself was rather entertaining to tell the truth. It was just all of us around the table, talking, laughing and eating more of Miya's great food. While it wouldn't be any different from any other day's dinner if it were just us, familiar faces stopped by to join in on the festivities. Seo and his pair of Sekirei, the lightning twins, Hikari and Hibiki, appeared on the pretense to celebrate for me. While I haven't seen a lot of Seo over the past month, I could tell that he was out of food again. Not long after he arrived, Akira and his girls also came by. With the arrival of these newcomers, the dining room was reasonably packed, what with nearly everyone talking in various other conversations.

Almost as soon as she arrived, Noa had scanned the room for Yomi and immediately went over to her, clearly wanting to pick up their debate from before. What _this_ one was about, I had no clue, considering they run the gambit from a fight between Akira and myself, a race between Uzume and Kaori, and something dealing with chess pieces, a cake and a giant water balloon. I gave up trying to understand their logic as soon the third topic came up.

Although not as enthusiastically, Kaori and Toyotama did meet up and start throwing sarcastic barbs at one another, each escalating higher and higher; I could tell that the two of them had become friends, if a little vitriolic about it. Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, I noticed Uzume crawl over to Toyotama and whisper something in her ear, which caused my first Sekirei to arch her eyebrow and glance over to me, a small smirk in place.

I felt slight dread as the two of them gave me sly looks, but it was displaced immediately as Kuu walked over to me and plopped into my lap. Looking up to me, Kuu smiled and chuckled lightly, glad that she could take her place on my place.

Akira's third and final Sekirei, Emi, stayed at his side, too shy to move anywhere. However, when she noticed Matsu, she whispered in Akira's ear and scampered over to Matsu. At that, the two of them resumed their secretive plans. Plans of which Matsu refused to tell me when I had asked her what the two of them were talking about. That kind of unnerved me. 'Matsu' and 'secret plans' are two things I really don't want meshing together too often. She still hasn't informed me of what that package she had me pick up held inside of it. Wait… I hope Uzume doesn't tell Matsu about my weakness to alcohol. If she knew, then Uzume and Toyotama would be more likely to maneuver me into a corner. I just hoped they didn't inform Yomi, considering she helps Miya cook the food now. Then I would be screwed, then Yomi, then Toyotama, then Uzume, then Matsu, then Musubi…Kuu would be left alone, that much would be sure. Homura would either be attacked or ignored, depending on my level inebriation from a single sip. Miya…Miya probably kill me for blatantly breaking her rule…several times…hopefully before I lose control around her.

"Oi, kid! Are you okay? You look like you're deep in thought." Seo managed to catch my attention.

I grinned sheepishly. "I'm trying to think of a way to survive the night. You know, a celebration without breaking Asama-san's rule." That's it! I can tell Miya about my alcohol weakness.

Seo laughed out loud at that, holding a bottle of beer in one hand. "Yeah, there's a reason I found my own place. I love my girls a bit too much to be cock-blocked like that." He threw his arms around the shoulders of his Sekirei, groping their breasts as he did so.

I lifted in front of Kuu's face as he did so; at the same time, Miya interjected. "Oh, I'd rather not scum like you living in my home anyway, Seo. After all, the only times you ever come over is when you want some more food. Also, please do not use such vulgar language in front of Kuu." I could literally feel the malevolence of Miya's Hannya even before she called it.

Seo blanched and quickly said, "Okay, okay, Miya, I won't say anything bad in front of the kid!" He released a breath and relaxed when Miya relented. Looking to me, he smirked, "I don't see how you put up with her rules, kid. I mean, look at the girls you have. It's a waste of-" I lifted a hand, letting him know to wait as I placed my hands over Kuu's ears and nodded to let him continue. "It's a waste of boobs, man."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at about the same time Kuu pulled my hands off her ear, glaring childishly up at me. "Yeah, you're telling me." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even think. My face turned hot when I noticed Toyotama gave me a sly wink. Uzume grinned at me.

"What the hell are you blushing for? You've already been with your Sekirei, right?" Akira arched an eyebrow at me.

Seo snorted at my subtle glare at the large Ashikabi. "How could he? Miya's unmoving on her rule about no illicit activities. If the kid actually tried something, then Miya would have strung him out ages ago."

I snorted at the both of them. "Look, the both of you don't need to remark on my forced celibacy. I know exactly what I'm doing, so neither of you needs to worry." I waved a hand flippantly, then placed it on top of Kuu's head. "Anyway, this is a party, normally things like that are saved for after the celebrations." I smirked, trying to push them subject away from my love life.

Seo laughed out loud, "You got that right, kid."

I reached forward and grabbed my cup, the one Miya poured for me. Lightly sniffing it, I tried to tell if there was alcohol inside of it. Leaning over to my landlady, I whispered to her, "Um, Asama-san, can I ask you a question?"

She turned to me, "Of course, Hitomi-kun."

Holding up my cup, I asked, "Is this alcoholic? I kinda have a problem with alcohol."

Miya cocked her head to the side. "Oh, I didn't know. It's not alcoholic, just a little punch. Though, if I may, what is this problem you have with alcohol?"

I grimaced slightly, "You know how you call me a beast with uncontrollable lustful urges in the morning, almost everyday?" She arched an eyebrow at my statement. "Well, when I get intoxicated, I…lose what little self control I already have."

Miya smiled at that, laughing to herself. "Well, don't we all?"

I shook my head, "No, Asama-san, you don't get it. I have no tolerance for the stuff. A single sip and I completely lose it. I turn into someone completely different; there's no filter between my thoughts and my words and actions."

Before she could respond, Kuu had shoved some food into my mouth. "C'mon, Onii-chan, it's time to eat." It seemed like Musubi had brought the food in.

Nearly choking from the surprise, I managed to chew the miniature sausage and swallow it. Gently pushing Kuu's hand down, I said, "Hold up a moment, Kuu. How about you eat your fill first and then you can feed me, okay? Warn me first, though. Onii-chan's not that hungry right now."

Clearly glad that she was given permission to do something she'd do anyway, Kuu smiled and nodded. "Okay, Onii-chan!" At that, she began to eat the food that was given to her.

I released a breath and looked to Miya, who was back to chatting with Homura. Though the host seemed to arrive a little late, he seemed to be enjoying himself. However, I couldn't help but notice something was up with him.

"Oi, kid, have a beer. Loosen up, man, it's a party." Seo held a beer out to me, a small smirk on his face.

I looked at him, then the bottle. After a moment's pause, I shook my head. "No thanks, Seo, I don't drink."

"C'mon, it's a party, Hitomi. You gotta loosen up after all. It is for you." He pressed me.

Once again, I shook my head. "No, I don't want one. I'd rather not set a bad example for Kuu, here." I ruffled her hair a little. "I am her Ashikabi after all."

Seo snorted, "Then get her to sit with someone else. You're a man, Hitomi; you should be allowed to drink a little when you need to chill."

Before I could say anything, Kuu stuck her tongue and turned to grab onto my jacket, letting Seo know that she wasn't going anywhere. Smirking lightly, I laughed to myself, "Well, it looks like Kuu isn't going anywhere."

Thankfully, the party itself went off without a hitch. There weren't too many hiccups; frankly, I was concerned, considering Uzume and Toyotama didn't try to get me to drink any alcohol. Unfortunately, Homura had to leave before the party's end; I wanted to ask him how Chiho was doing, but the look on his face seemed to mean that he was dealing with something difficult at the moment. When it was time for everyone to leave, Seo gave me his card.

"You don't seem like the type to need help too much, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little back up." I took the card and examined it carefully. Arching an eyebrow, I couldn't help but laugh.

"You actually charge people with your services?"

Seo grinned and lifted a hand, placing his thumb and pointer finger together at the tips. "You'd be surprised at how many actually need a little help. Oh, and don't worry, I'll make sure to charge you the friend rate."

As he left, I lifted my free hand and waved him off. "Thanks, Seo. See you soon."

Akira, having not said much during the party, left with a single parting phrase. "See you next outing." I knew he meant the next time I got a message about a targeted Sekirei.

As I headed up to bed, I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed by my nightly separation from my Sekirei.

* * *

><p>The next day, Yomi and I stood outside, her scythe casually held in the hand on the opposite side I stood next to her. Today was her day, the day she could do whatever she wanted. Glancing back to the door, Kuu was standing in the doorway with Toyotama and Uzume behind her. Musubi was training with Miya and Matsu was in her room.<p>

"Be careful, you two." Uzume said to the both of us.

I nodded and said, "Of course, we'll be fine. Yomi's with me." I pointed to the sky, "Matsu will be watching no matter what I say." Grinning playfully, I breathed onto my knuckles and rubbed my chest, "Plus, I can take care of myself."

"You shouldn't have to." Toyotama said with a smirk.

The way she said caused me to pause.

Noticing my minor lapse, my first Sekirei looked over to Yomi, "Keep a close watch over our idiot, okay." She said playfully, though I could read some subtle truth to it. I mean, I do have my moments.

"Of course!" She grabbed onto my arm, grinning. Though, she said nothing to deny my accused idiocy. I decided to let it slide, considering I probably deserve it for some transgression I may have committed in the past.

"See you later, Onii-chan, Mi-chan! Be careful!" Kuu called out to us as the two of us exited the yard.

As we walked down the street away from Maison Izumo, I asked Yomi, "So, is there anything you want to do?"

Still holding onto my arm, she looked up in thought. "We can go for a walk. I mean, we already ate so I'm not feeling hungry. There really isn't anything that's going on in town. Plus, I don't really need anything."

I arched an eyebrow, "You don't know what you want to do?"

Yomi flushed in slight embarrassment. "No, I was just so happy that you wanted to go out with me that I didn't really think of anything."

I thought for a moment, then said, "Yomi, if there was just one thing you wanted from me; what would it be?"

My scythe Sekirei thought it over for a moment, then blushed. Looking over to me, she hesitated and chewed her lip lightly. It was really adorable seeing her contemplating so heavily. Peeking over at me through her periphery, I noticed a light flush in her cheeks. She sucked in a breath and leaned over to me, whispering something in my ear. I smiled at her theatrics, then froze lightly at her request. When she pulled away from me, Yomi looked up to me hesitantly.

I released a breath and smiled down at her, "That's what you want from me?" Placing a hand on my face, I sighed again. "Asama-san won't let me live it down when she learns of this. Everything she said, joke or not, will have been true."

"You did agree at one point." Yomi pouted lightly.

I looked down to her; Yomi was holding her two pointer fingers together, looking shyly to the side. "You really want to, don't you?"

She looked up to me, meeting my eyes. "You're my Ashikabi." She whispered to me, making sure not to be overheard. "I want to be as close to you as possible; and I want you to be close to me, too."

Leaning down, I kissed her gently on the lips. "Your wish is my command, Hime-sama." I smiled at her sudden flushed features. Taking her by the hand, I squeezed it gently and pulled out my phone. Opening my phone, I flipped through various pages to find directions.

After a while of searching, I finally found it. "If we can't do it at Maison Izumo, then it'll have to be here." I looked to her, "Are you sure you want to do this, Yomi? I can still wait if you want me to."

She shook her head, "No, I want you, Takeshi-sama."

I couldn't help but smile softly. She was so innocent. It killed me that we had to have our first time at someplace as cheesy as a love hotel, but it was the only plausible option available to me. Looking around, I had to find someplace secure to put Yomi's scythe. We very well couldn't just walk inside the building with it.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes, the two of us were inside of a room obviously for use on certain commercial holiday pertaining to hearts and chocolate. Allowing Yomi to make her way around the room, to get a feel for the general area, I shut the door and locked it, out of courtesy, placing the key on the table next to the door. Sliding out of my jacket, I put it on the back of nearby chair and walked over to the bed, taking a seat. As soon as I did, though, music started to play. It was so sudden, that I jumped away from the bed as if it had shocked me. As soon as I did, the music stopped. Slowly reaching forward, I applied pressure on the bed, hearing the music play again. Lifting my hand, it stopped. Repeating the process, I wondered why the hell that music was playing whenever you get on the bed.<p>

Yomi giggled at my perplexity and reached behind the headboard, pressing something. The final time I pushed on the bed, the music didn't play. I released a breath and plopped down, thankful for the end of that surprise. Taking the space next to me, she placed her hands in her lap shyly. "I didn't think you'd say 'yes' in the end…"

"What makes you say that?" I asked her softly.

Yomi shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, you've always been so respectful with us, never going too far out of fear that you'd hurt one of us."

I chuckled lightly, "I grew up in an all-women household. Respect for women was mandatory for survival."

That elicited a small laugh from Yomi. "You never tried to take advantage of any of us…" I looked over to Yomi, slowly reaching over to place my hand under her chin. Gently turning her to face me, she breathed out, "Takeshi-sama…"

"Are you sure this is what you want? You don't have to force yourself." I asked her one last time.

Yomi lifted a hand hesitantly and placed it on my thigh, squeezing it lightly. "I'm perfectly sure, but…it's my first time…"

"Do you want me to be gentle?" I asked softly.

"Please…" Her voice came out in a breathless whisper. I leaned forward and placed my lips onto Yomi's.

* * *

><p>After an indiscernible amount of time passed, she collapsed on top of me and sighed, her face covered with a light sheet of sweat. I let her slide to one side, so she could rest her head on my chest and wrap her bare leg around one of mine. Reaching down, I grabbed the blanket and pulled it over top of us.<p>

"Did I live up to your expectations?" I asked her softly, while brushing a stray hair from the front of her face.

Smiling up to me, Yomi said breathlessly, "You exceeded them."

I grinned, feeling exhausted but proud, "I try."

"Yes, you did." She snuggled against me, trying to make it so that her entire body was pressed against me.

Trying not jostle Yomi, I reached over the edge of the bed and felt around for my pants and managed to grab my phone. Pulling it out of my pocket, I checked the time. It was getting pretty late. Looking over to Yomi, I said, "We don't need to rush, I can let you sleep. We have a little while left in here anyway."

"I know, but I'm enjoying this just as much as before. Staying near you is a perfect alternative." Yomi said, her eyes closed lightly.

I smiled, "Sure, after this workout you deserve a rest. Besides, I think I'll need to save my energy for later; the others are going to realize what we did." The only response I got from that was Yomi smiling widely and snuggling closer. Lying back, I put arm around Yomi's shoulder and put the other behind my head. Closing my eyes, I decided to rest myself.

It was at that very moment that I was blacked out.

Then, just as suddenly, I was standing on a rooftop, overlooking a wide berth of the capital. In front of me was a woman with long flowing blonde hair that…flowed…in the wind. She wore a black dress that ended in a short flapping white skirt and a pair of brown boots. I simply stood there, watching her. It was strange; I had no clue why I was on a rooftop when I was simply lying in a bed with Yomi.

After a moment, the woman twitched, recognizing my presence. Suddenly, she turned and pointed directly at me, glaring angrily with her sharp blue eyes. "_You derelict, monkey. What gall do you have to make me react? I'll _kill_ you!_"

My eyes opened slowly, a small groan escaping from me. _Another one_…


	13. The Seventh

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N**: _Here's the next chapter. Once again, I feel like there isn't much to say, but I feel like I should do one of these, if only to let you guys know a few things. _

_For one, I'm going to go on a short break. I know the wait for the next chapter has been a long one, but I felt I should at least give you guy one more chapter before my short hiatus. I'm still going to write this fic, but I need to give it a little rest. I find it helps to leave something along for a while and check in on it again, hopefully getting something akin to a little inspiration._

_The second reason is that I have ideas that I want to explore. This is my primary fanfic, but that doesn't mean I'm going to focus solely on it. My mind wanders, ideas bunnies nibble on my brain and get in the way, so I'm going to do a trial run of another fic or two and see how they play out. At the same time, I struck upon an idea for a novel; something I feel should be different enough to strike a chord while being similar enough to what I'm used to, to allow me to write it well._

_Anyway, read, review and enjoy…_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Thirteen

The Seventh

I blinked slowly, trying to let what just happened sink in. I had just finished consummating my relationship with just _one_ of my Sekirei and I had another reaction with a _seventh_ Sekirei… I am going to be one tired individual when all of this is said and done… I wonder if Miya would let me put a recliner on the veranda… No, I think I'll just make sure I have an ice pack handy… Lot's of ice packs, probably.

Lifting a hand, I rubbed the heel of my hand into my head, trying not to groan in frustration. Releasing a breath, I reached to the floor and felt around to find my pants, all while trying not to jostle Yomi. Finding the edge, I hooked my finger through a loop and pulled it closer. Digging into the pocket, I pulled out my phone and checked my phone.

As if on cue, my phone went off as someone called. I nearly jumped out of my skin as it slipped out of my hand and bounce off my chest, landing on the ground. I managed to keep the curse on the tip of my tongue from flying out while I jolted Yomi back to consciousness.

"What happened, Takeshi-sama?" She said while pushing herself up to a sitting position, covering herself with the blanket.

I sat up and slid to the side, getting off of the bed. "My phone surprised the hell out of me." Leaning down, I swiped my phone my phone from the ground and checked the caller ID. Mom. Wow, awkward. My mom called me not even fifteen minutes after… No, I refuse to say 'Mom' and 'sex' in the same sentence… Dammit, I just did…

Flipping my phone open, I said, "Yes?"

"Takeshi, are you alright? I heard you were approached by Kaede Inoue." She sounded frantically subdued, the way only a mother could.

I released a breath, "That was around a week ago, mom. I'm fine. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. You know me." I grimaced, still feeling a light tingle in my right shoulder.

"Yes, that's why I'm calling to make sure you're alright. I know you'd do something stupidly reckless." She sighed as she could no doubt place that apologetic grin that was plastered on my face at that very moment. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. You have been eating right, haven't you?"

I sighed, letting my mother ask her ritualistic questions. "Yes, I have, mom. I'm making sure to keep healthy."

"Are you treating your Sekirei right?" She asked; her voice hard for a moment.

"What would ever give you reason to think that I wouldn't? After growing up with you, Yukari and Grandmother, have I ever been anything aside from a perfect gentleman? You know me, mom."

She snorted, "Yes, but there's a difference between the women in your family and the female Sekirei that are currently comprising your 'harem'. I tried to be subtle, but I forgot that subtlety is something we forgot to teach you. What I'm asking is if you're wasting every hour on the hour having sex?"

I coughed lightly, caught off guard by my mom's bluntness. I should be expecting this, but you don't normally like to think of your mother as someone who just talks about the act of procreating when you're knowingly within earshot. "Mom! Is that really necessary?" Pausing, I released a breath. "No, I have not. Asama-san is a real stickler about there being no 'illicit activities' under her roof."

"Mm-hmm, I see."

While my mother was paused, I spared a glance at Yomi; she happened to be watching me with wide eyes, a blush on her cheeks. Arching an eyebrow at her, I slowly looked down and realized that I still lacked clothing. Scrambling, I managed to procure my boxers and pull them on, eliciting a pout from my second Sekirei. I heard my mother ask me something, which was lost on me at the moment.

"I'm sorry, mom, say again."

"What are you doing right now?"

I paused, "Uhhh." Things were getting awkward. Her previously asked question had pretty much hit the nail on the head as to what I just did, but I'd rather not she know about my 'illicit activities' and about how I had become 'a beast who had succumb to his lustful urges', as Miya would no doubt put it. "Uh, nothing?" I tried and failed to make my statement not sound like a question.

"You're a horrible liar, Takeshi. I hope you know that." She released a breath and continued, "Well, I can tell I caught you in the middle of something. I just hope you aren't standing in the middle of your room half naked. You have no idea how awkward it would be to know that you were talking with your mother while you were in nothing but your underwear." I could almost see her shrug, a small, evil grin on her face. "Well, it would be awkward for _you_. I was the one who changed your diapers when you were a baby, so it probably wouldn't faze me a bit. However, I'd prefer my son to be somewhat tasteful. Anyway, Takeshi, do yourself a favor: lift your jaw from the floor, pull your clothes on and get to know your Sekirei. It's going to be a long game. I'll see you soon. Bye."

I froze in utter silence, blinking slowly. Hesitantly pulling the phone from my face, I stared at my phone and said, "How does she _know_ this stuff?"

"Know what, Takeshi-sama?" Yomi asked from her seat on the bed, still holding the blanket against her bare chest.

"Everything!" I released a tired breath and walked toward the bed, falling forward. Relaxing as I felt the soft blanket press against my face, I licked my lips. Sitting up, I leaned back and looked to the clock on the wall. "We're almost out of time." I looked over to her, smiling lightly. "Let's get ready to do. Are you able to walk?"

Yomi blinked, then slid her body over to my side of the bed. Throwing her legs over the edge, she tried to step off of the bed, but her legs gave out from beneath her. I leapt to her side as fast as I could, managing to catch her before she smacked her head on anything. As I held her against me, she looked up to me with a small smile, "I guess not, Takeshi-sama."

I eyed her, "If you were anyone else, I'd suspect that you would be lying for a chance to have me hold you like this." She simply grinned. I sighed, "Whatever, let's just get you dressed, okay." Placing her back onto the bed, I helped her stay in a sitting position. Leaning down, I took her panties from the ground. Taking her foot gently, I slid it through one of the openings and did the same with her second foot. Pushing them up to her knees, I looked to her. "You do the rest, okay? I'll get your stockings."

Yomi nodded lightly, her face flushed once again.

I stood and scanned the floor for her stockings. Seeing them, I took one and looked it over; trying to decipher which leg it went with. The left. Turning back to Yomi, I saw that she held her left leg out for me, blushing lightly. I smiled, "You're learning, Yomi." Sliding the stocking up her leg, I felt her place her hands over mine to help guide them. Even when the stocking pulled all the way on, Yomi still guided my hands up to her chest, placing one of them on her left breast.

"Do you feel it, Takeshi-sama? My heart is racing for you. I wanted to show you how much I cared for you, how much you meant to me. I'm grateful that you accepted me as yours, Takeshi-sama. For as long as Fate allows me, I will stand by your side. I will fight for you, and win this game." She smiled widely at me, her eyes watering lightly.

Smiling softly, I stood and gently wiped a finger on her cheek, wiping away a tear. "No, I'm the grateful one, Yomi. You truly are too good for me. But, I'll do my best to be worthy of your love." Leaning in, I pressed my lips onto hers, conveying how I felt. Helping her pull her other stocking on, I searched around for her dress and located it. Taking it and my pants, which were lying off to the side, I held her dress out to her and said, "Pull this on; I'll zip you up after I pull on my pants."

Yomi nodded lightly as she took her dress. I then pulled up my pants, buttoning them. Looking over to her, I noticed Yomi had pushed her arms into her dress, waiting for me do as I promised. I sighed heavily at that expectant expression of hers, smiling in spite of myself. Walking over to her, I climbed onto the bed and crouched behind her as she lifted her hair to the side. Zipping the dress closed, I clicked the zipper in place and placed a hand on her shoulder. Smirking, I suddenly pulled her back and looked down to her, taking in her surprised, flushed expression. Kissing her deeply, I snaked my arm around her shoulder and placed a free hand on her cheek.

Breaking the kiss, I looked down to her affectionately. "You know, we're going to have one hell of a time explaining to the others where we went, right?"

Yomi smiled adorably, her face flushed all the same. "Don't I know it."

* * *

><p>Carrying Yomi in a piggyback, I walked back towards Maison Izumo. Her legs were a still shaky and weak so I had to resort to carrying her on our return trip. She didn't seem disappointed about it, though, since she was more than content with resting her head on my shoulder, a satisfied smile on her face. The trip back was rather uneventful; thankfully, there were no Sekirei attacks to report, because there was no way in hell that Yomi would be able to fight in her condition. Then again, that would be entirely my fault.<p>

As the two of us reached the entrance to our home, the door slid open, showing a smirking Toyotama leaning against the threshold. Walking forward, I asked her, "What's with that smirk? Did you hit the lottery or something?"

Her eyes slid to Yomi, who was breathing slowly, resting on my back, then back to me; her smirk grew into a grin as she replied, "You could say that…"

Before she could say anything, Kuu came barreling passed her and slammed into my legs. Looking up to me, she pouted, "Onii-chan, why were you gone so long?"

I smiled down to the little Sekirei, "I thought you knew; I was out with Mi-chan. It was her turn for a date." Sparing a look to the girl on my back, I saw that she was still asleep. _Did I wear her out that much?_ Chuckling lightly, I looked back down to Kuu, who was firmly latched onto my leg. "What do you say we go inside and put Mi-chan to bed? She's really worn out."

"I'll bet…" Toyotama said softly, giving me a heavy look.

Rolling my eyes at her, I watched as Kuu nodded and unwrapped herself from my leg and began pulling my pant leg, leading me back inside. "Okay, onii-chan, let's go put Mi-chan in her room. Let's be really quiet, so we don't wake her up." She said in a mock whisper, holding a finger in front of her lips.

Letting my smallest Sekirei pull me along, I noticed that Toyotama was simply watching me, her smirk still in place. When our eyes met, I knew that I had opened Pandora's Box. I was open game for my other Sekirei… I had a feeling that this was going to be a long week. Kuu led me up the stairs, her small hand not relinquishing my pant leg even though it restricted a bit of my stride. As I passed Matsu's door, I saw it creak open and a single eye peek through it. Along with it came her signature laughter, denoting a chill down my back. I had a feeling that her 'experiments' were in the near future if Matsu had any say in it.

Approaching the door to Yomi and Musubi's new room, I opened it and Kuu pushed it open more so that I could walk inside. Grudgingly releasing me, Kuu ran to the closet and pulled out the futon, helping me set it up. Gingerly turning Yomi in my arms, I laid her on the futon and pulled the blanket over her. Looking at her sleeping face, I couldn't help but smile. Brushing a stray from her face, I leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead.

Standing, I noticed Kuu pouting furiously at me, but courteous enough to remain silent. Grinning lightly, I scooped up my youngest Sekirei into a soft embrace and planted a kiss on her forehead. I left Yomi's room and silently shut the door. Ruffling Kuu's hair, I said, "You don't have to feel left out. You're the adorable one, remember?" I grinned as Kuu blushed, smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck.

Making my way downstairs, Kuu still wrapped firmly around my neck, I walked into the dining room and saw that everyone else was outside in the backyard. As I approached the porch, Uzume turned and met my eyes, grinning widely. "Wow, bro, don't you look relaxed. When did you loosen up so much?"

I narrowed my eyes and had to hold back a smile. "I just released a bit of tension is all. Nothing too difficult."

If possible, her grin grew wider. "Oh, I bet. Did you have a bit of help?"

Taking the seat next to her, I came upon one of Musubi's and Miya training sessions. My fist Sekirei seemed to be coming along nicely, able to change tactics on the fly in an attempt to surprise Miya. As I watched the two of them go back and forth, Kuu maneuvered herself on my lap so that she could watch them without trouble, while making sure that I was still there.

"You could say that…" I used Toyotama's statement from earlier to answer Uzume.

Said Sekirei simply continued to grin.

Toyotama took that moment to commandeer the other seat next to me. "How was she, Takeshi-kun?" My first Sekirei threw all subtlety out the window; truthfully, at this point, I'm expecting her to ask questions like that.

Releasing a breath, I looked over to her with a tired look. "Is that really appropriate right now?" I gestured towards the little Sekirei sitting on my lap. "Besides, it's in bad taste to just talk about 'that' with other people."

She smirked, "I could always ask Yomi."

I sighed heavily. I know that Yomi would talk if she was asked by Toyotama or Uzume, so there was nothing I could really do. "If you really want to know how it went, then you could always wait until the next time I go out. Maybe it'll be your turn next."

That seemed to spark her interest as her eyes took on a slight sparkle.

At the same time, I looked over to my other side, to catch the look on Uzume's face. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw that her eyes were narrowed dangerously, seemingly hungry for something.

Before anything else could be said, another voice cut into our nonverbal conversation. "Takeshi-san! You're home!" Musubi stopped mid-lunge, finally seeing me come back. Turning on a dime, she made her momentum cause her to come flying towards me.

My eyes widened when I noticed my extremely excitable Sekirei charging towards me. Quickly grabbing Kuu, I pushed her into Toyotama's lap and braced myself for Musubi's incoming tackle; when it connected, my vision went black as she wrapped her arms around my neck and unknowingly plunged my face into her cleavage. Pushing me to the ground, she hooked her legs around my waist and shook me lightly.

"Takeshi-san, I didn't notice you got back! I'm so sorry!" She cried out.

"Mmmmf, mmf, mf." Was what I managed to get out. Musubi was dressed in her sleep clothes, the high school gym uniform.

"What was that, Takeshi-san?" She asked me, completely oblivious to the fact that she was suffocating me.

Lifting a hand, I grasped at the air, as if hoping that my grasps would suck in air for me to breathe.

"Musubi, dear, I think Hitomi-kun can't breathe with you holding him like that." Miya, my savior, told my lovably scatterbrained Musubi the obvious connotations of our current situation.

"Oh!" She quickly released my head and sat up, straddling me.

I sucked in a grateful breath of fresh air. Taking a few seconds to clear my head, I smiled at the slightly frantic girl above me. "Hello to you too, Musubi."

"Are you okay, Takeshi-san?" Her worry for me was palpable.

Placing a calming hand on her arm, I grinned, "How can I not be when I felt so much concern? Just…lighten up a bit, I still like to breathe. Okay?"

She knuckled her head lightly, sticking her tongue. "I'm sorry, Takeshi-san; I was just a bit excited."

I chuckled, grinning lightly, "I can tell." I released a breath and waited as Musubi lifted herself off of me. Sitting up, I didn't get a moment on my own because Kuu instantly jumped back onto my lap.

"How'd your date with Yomi go, Takeshi-san?" Musubi asked me as she crossed her hands in front of her.

"Since she's not here right now, I'd say it went pretty well. Right, Hitomi-kun?" Miya covered her mouth as she smiled innocently to me. When she didn't get a reaction from me, she continued, "Ara, is it true, Hitomi-kun? Have you finally lost control of your lustful urges? Did you take advantage of poor Yomi when the two of you are alone?"

I blushed and quickly covered Kuu's ears. "C'mon, Asama-san! It wasn't like that! I left what we were going to do to Yomi. She wanted to…" I shrugged, not wanting to say what was on my mind. "So we did it."

"My date is next."

I paused and froze lightly, turning my head to face Toyotama. "I'm sorry?"

"It's my turn next, if that's all right? I'd like to have one on one time with my Ashikabi; can't I have one?" She crossed her arms and regarded me with a smirk, though her eyes were questioning.

"It's not that; I'd love to do that, but I'm going to need a day to recuperate." I grinned; meeting my staff Sekirei's widened eyes. "If you really want me at my best, then I'll have to regain some stamina."

Uzume cleared her throat, "Maybe I want to go next, Toyotama."

In response to that, I simply held my breath. I was not going to play favorites, so I figured I'd let them decide. _I just hope it doesn't get too crazy…_

Her fellow Sekirei simply narrowed her eyes at the unspoken challenge. "You do, Uzume? I have to say, this is the first time I've actually felt challenged by you." She grinned, "Can you back it up?"

Uzume simply leaned onto my shoulder, "I don't need to back anything up. After all, if Takeshi asks me to leave the inn with him for a few hours, then I will gladly accept." She smirked as she looked over my shoulder towards Toyotama.

Clearing my throat, I tried to diffuse the situation. "Look, I'm not going to play favorites. If you want to know who's going out with me next, then you're going to have to decide for yourselves." I paused, placing a finger on my chin in thought. "Think of it as a teamwork experience. It's going to be fair and appropriate. I'd rather not have Asama-san kill me because one of your games went a little out of hand."

"Oh, you surprise me, Hitomi-kun." Miya told me, holding her hand in front of her mouth.

"Really? How so?" I asked her, wary of her answer.

"I thought you'd jump at the chance to have your way with your girls. You know, what with being the lustful beast you've already admitted to being." Miya said with a light laugh, poorly hidden behind her hand.

I groaned, placing my hand against my face. "C'mon, Asama-san, at least call me a beast who's resting. Truthfully, I'm way too tired to argue the point." Just to prove the point, I ended up yawning lightly.

Kuu pouted at Miya and crossed her arms, "Miya-onee-chan, please stop picking on onii-chan! He didn't do anything bad."

I snorted lightly, trying to hold back a laugh. Kuu's sudden defense of me, the look of sheer shock on Miya's face, the look of confusion on Musubi's face and Uzume's poorly hidden laughter all struck me as quite entertaining I ruffled the hair on top of Kuu's head. "It's alright, Kuu. Though I appreciate the gesture, Asama-san does have the right to insinuate. I haven't done much to dissuade any of you." I scratched the back of my head.

Miya paused for a moment, then laughed lightly to herself. "Well, I believe it's time for me to start dinner. Since my usual helper is incapacitated at the moment, I'll have to get reacquainted with working on my own again." She eyed me playfully.

"Oh, I'll help Miya-san!" Musubi lifted a hand and jumped up lightly.

Miya simply smiled, "I'm thankful, Musubi, but I think it would be a better idea if you got a bath. After all, you have been sparring for the past hour. Also, it is the hygienic thing to do."

Musubi looked down at her herself, grinned lightly and knuckled her head. "Right."

"I have to get in as well, but I can wait until after you go if you want to get in first, Musubi." I said offhandedly, knowing that after my 'workout' earlier today I'd need a bath.

Her eyes widened with realization as she turned towards me. "Takeshi-san, do you want to go into the bath with me? It would save a bunch of time and I could wash your back!"

I released a breath and shook my head, "I don't think so Musu-" Of course, that's when a thought struck me. "On second thought…" I looked over to Miya and said, "You have to admit, Asama-san; I have exercised wonderful self-control."

She arched an eyebrow, "Oh, you have?" She sounded skeptical, clearly wondering where I was going with this train of thought.

"Yes, and I have not broken any of your rules. Although there have been moments where I have skirted the line, I was not the person who started those instances. Thus, the proper thing to do would be to give a little flexibility." I continued telling my piece to Miya, using my skill to pretty up words and phrases.

At that moment, it was obvious Miya knew what I was trying to do. A small smirk grew on her face as she crossed her arms. "And what are you asking me to do?"

I sucked in a breath, "Give a little leeway on how I can go about the rules. I won't break them, of course, but all I ask is a little breathing room in certain areas of the inn… Like, say, the bath?" I smiled innocently as I waited for her answer.

"How so, Hitomi-kun?" She simply waited for my reply, a small smile on her face.

"Well, although there were times when it looked like I have broken the rules, I have not. So the logical and compassionate thing would be to let me to bathe with my Sekirei." I lifted a hand, letting her know that I wasn't finished. "Now, it goes without saying that I won't do anything untoward, no matter how much my Sekirei may try to pressure me into it." I gave Toyotama a sideways glance, which she simply responded with a blatantly gleeful grin. "In other words, what I'm asking you is not much, and I will continue to follow the rules, which means that there will be no illicit activities occurring inside of your bathhouse." I purposefully held back my grin; no matter my diplomatic skills, I didn't want to seem too eager.

Miya simply met my eyes, clearly thinking of my proposal. Placing a hand on her chin, the corner of her mouth twitched upward ever so slightly. "While what you said is true, I don't know if I can give you that leniency." I released a breath, gracefully accepting my defeat. "However…" I perked almost instantly, though I tried to hide it. "I'll allow you to be in the bathhouse with them on one condition: if you break any of my rules regarding illicit activity anywhere in Maison Izumo then you will never be allowed to eat here again, understand?"

I smiled up to her, "You have my word, Asama-san. I'll make sure to be the best tenant you've ever had."

Miya nodded, "I trust that you will, and since you'll be bathing, I'll prepare the bath." Walking passed me, she went into the inn. After her footsteps vanished into the inn, I sighed, falling back and feeling quite tired.

Lifting a hand, I gave the thumbs up sign and grinned, "Mission accomplished."

Uzume whistled appreciatively, "Wow, bro, you actually managed to convince Miya to allow you to bathe with us. There's only one person who's ever been able to make her cha-" She cut herself off quickly, throwing a hand over her own mouth.

I arched an eyebrow at her, but before I could ask her what she was going to say, I heard a familiar patter of bare feet. Next thing I know, I was tackled by the only unaccounted for conscious Sekirei. "You did it, Take-tan! I knew that if anyone could convince Miya to allow something like that, it would be you!" She pulled my head into her bountiful chest. While I didn't dislike it, I liked to breathe every once and a while.

"…" _Forget it…_ I just gave in and let it happen. After all, since all of my Sekirei, sans Kuu of course, figured out my escapade with Yomi, something was bound to happen regardless of my decisions.

"Uh, Matsu, Takeshi-kun does have to breathe, you know." I heard Toyotama speak, a smirk obviously present on her face.

Matsu froze lightly, "Oh, right…"

When she pulled her arms from around my neck, I sucked in a small breath. "Okay, I cou-" I was cut off by the very same Sekirei suddenly pressing her lips against mine. However, unlike the others I've shared with my Sekirei, this one did things that reawakened a previously satiated desire. When she pulled away, Matsu smirked at the expression on my face. Unconsciously dragging my tongue across the inside of my lower lip, I asked her, "Where did you learn to do that with your tongue?"

Matsu smiled devilishly, "Let's just say that that's a preview for when it's Matsu's turn." The way she said that made me believe she's done more than her fair share of online 'research' for her 'experiments'. At that, she pulled herself to her feet and waited for me to stand.

Getting to my feet, I released a heavy breath, "You're going to make it really difficult for me to keep my word to Asama-san, you know that, right?" Matsu simply grinned at me, a glint coming over her round glasses. "Anyway, it's perfect that you came down here. There's someone I want you to look up for me."

She cocked her head to the side, "Oh, who?"

I cleared my throat, already knowing how this could sound. "It's a Sekirei, I believe…" All was silent for the longest time after I said that. Pushing a hand through my hair, I waited in silent agony for someone, _anyone_, to say something. When someone finally spoke up, I couldn't but flush lightly.

"Another one, Takeshi-kun? Wow… I really don't know what to say…" Toyotama, of all people, was struck silent by my news. That in and of itself was a surprise to me.

Uzume simply arched an eyebrow, "I'm going to venture a guess that you didn't meet her on your way back. Otherwise, she would be with you."

I coughed into my hand, "A part of me is glad I didn't. Considering she said that she'd kill me, I'd prefer it if we didn't meet when the one Sekirei I have with me is unconscious and unable to walk on her own two legs."

Toyotama stiffened as I spoke, her eyes becoming sharp.

"If you didn't meet her on the way back, Take-tan, then how do you know she reacted to you?" Matsu inquired; her voice uncharacteristically serious.

I pursed my lips, rubbing the back of my head. "After we…finished, the two of us lied down and tried to rest. Well, I tried. As I tried to get to sleep, I was woken by a vision of a blonde Sekirei." I paused and looked over to my cloth Sekirei, "The same way I met Uzume."

Said Sekirei blushed lightly, looking to me with a small smile.

I returned the smile, but couldn't help but feel guilty. "I…,uh, I'm a magnet for trouble, aren't I?" The question was universally sent out to all of my Sekirei.

"Yeah, you are, but I wouldn't have it any other way, Takeshi-kun." Toyotama smirked lightly; releasing a breath, she walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into an embrace. Placing her head on my shoulder, she placed her lips onto my cheek. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Takeshi-kun. You're my Ashikabi, so I will keep you safe, no matter the obstacle."

That was when I felt something grab onto my leg. "I'm you're Sekirei too, onii-chan. I'll protect you too!"

Glancing over to Matsu, I saw that she was crossing her arms, glaring lightly, while hiding a small smile. "Uh, guys?" I placed a hand on her back and the other on Kuu's head. "I didn't say I was afraid. I just wanted to tell you guys so I won't be attacked out of the blue if we were ever separated."

Toyotama chuckled lightly, "Of course, you're not scared." Slowly, she slid out of my arms and stood at my side.

Looking to Matsu, I looked to her, "Well, are you ready, Matsu? There's some research that I needs to be done."

* * *

><p>"Well, it's just as I feared. The Sekirei that's reacting to you, Take-tan, is Number 09 Tsukiumi; she's infamous as an Ashikabi hater. You've got your work cut out for you, Take-tan." Matsu turned towards me.<p>

I put a hand on my face and groaned, "I'm charismatic, but there's only so far I can change someone's opinion of me."

"Don't worry onii-chan, I'm sure if you talk with her then things can work out." Kuu looked up to me from her seat on my lap.

I smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm sure it can work out if you say it like that." Pursing my lips, I rubbed my chin in thought. "How far can a Sekirei sense the Ashikabi that she's reacting to?"

"I'm not specifically sure." Uzume said with a shrug. "It depends on how powerful the Ashikabi is." She smirked as she looked to me, then to each of her fellow Sekirei. "I think you'd have pretty good range, Takeshi." Uzume grinned, pushing her ponytail from her shoulder.

I snorted, "Well, isn't this a predicament? I have to meet with the district supervisor of my construction job. I wonder how that meeting is going to go: 'Hello, supervisor-san, my name is Takeshi Hitomi. Don't mind the crazy, water-slinging alien; she's just here to kill me. So, what were those questions you wanted to ask me?" I laughed lightly, shaking my head at the incredulity of the situation.

"Where was it, again, that you saw Tsukiumi in your vision?" Matsu asked me, beginning to type.

I shrugged, "The surroundings weren't very clear to me; the only things I was able to pick out were the facts that I was standing on a tall building and that she liked to stand at the edge." I shook my head, releasing a breath.

Matsu bit her lip lightly, "That doesn't really narrow anything down. I could always try to directly hack into the MBI server and use that to track her movements."

I nodded, taking in that information. Truthfully, Matsu had already told me what she could do in accordance with tracking Sekirei, but that wasn't sitting right with me. MBI already had a Big Brother-esque feel about them, what with keeping track with all of the Sekirei and always knowing where they and their Ashikabi were. When she asked what I thought, I told her not to do it, but keep it ready just in case we may need it. I may want to win the Game, but that doesn't mean I should have to compromise my morals.

Before anything more could be said, Toyotama pushed the door open. "The bath's been ready for a while now. Are you guys coming or not?"

I released a breath, smiling lightly. "Yeah, we're coming. I'm sure Matsu won't miss this chance."

"Not for the world." My hacker grinned from ear to ear, her glasses shining over.

Lifting Kuu from my lap, I stood and led her out of Matsu's room. Miya walked down the hall and gave me a look. "I trust you won't go out of control, Hitomi-kun?"

"Of course. Nothing above PG-13 will be happening under your roof, and PG for Kuu, so don't worry." I grinned reassuringly, which Miya took with a simple nod of her head. She made her way downstairs and disappeared around the corner. Letting Kuu's hand go, I looked to my smallest Sekirei and said, "Okay, Kuu, I'm going to need you to stay with U-chan and Ma-chan for a little while, 'kay?"

She crossed her arms and pouted, "But Kuu wants to go in the bath too."

I lifted my hands, trying to placate her. "Don't worry, Kuu, you will. But, there are things that you aren't old enough to see yet. I have to prepare something so you can come in with everyone." Looking up to Uzume and Matsu, I said, "Wait for me to call you, there's something that I have to do." Uzume simply arched an eyebrow in confusion but nodded with a smile. After Matsu chuckled cryptically, I rolled my eyes and walked over to the bath. Opening the door, I walked into the changing room and heard splashing and running water. "Oi, who's in the bath?"

"Takeshi-san, is that you?" Musubi's voice called from the other side of the door. I heard her jump up and walk over to the door. Sliding it open, I was treated to a full view of a fully unclothed Musubi. "Ah! Takeshi-san, can I wash your back?"

If I hadn't worn myself out earlier today, then I'm sure I would've completely lost self-control. "Um, sure, Musubi. If that's what you want, then you can wash my back."

Musubi nodded her head and closed the door back.

I released a breath and quickly removed my shirt. _I may be a little in over my head._ Shaking my head, I walked over to the baskets and saw that one of them had a note. Seeing only my name on the note, I saw a pair of swim shorts under it. I smirked lightly, "Asama-san, you read my mind." Though Miya had agreed to let me bathe with my Sekirei, there was the fact that Kuu is still young, so there were things her eyes were not meant to see. I didn't get the chance to talk with her about the new arrangements. Shaking my head, I stripped down to nothing and slid on the trunks. Though it would probably make washing everything a little awkward, there was always the bath itself.

Going back to the exit door, I whistled to Uzume and Matsu. "Coming!" The two of them called out to me.

I then made my way to the bath and slid the door open, walking into the bath. Sitting upon one of the stools, Musubi jumped up and grabbed my hand, ushering me onto one of the stools that sat next to the bath. I sat on one the stools and leaned forward. As I did, I noticed Toyotama sitting in the bath, relaxing.

"Wow, not even a whole minute in the bath and you already have Musubi washing your back." However, when she noticed that I was wearing trunks, she pouted lightly. "Well, that ruins half the fun."

I snorted, "This was the stipulation Asama-san had, so I had to play along." Feeling Musubi wash my back was relaxing in and of itself, I released all of the tension and allowed her work her magic.

"Takeshi-san, your back is so broad." Musubi said while her hands lightly kneaded my back.

At that, Uzume, Matsu and Kuu walked into the bath. As soon as they did, I said, "Somebody hand me the shampoo and a cap, I'll wash your hair Kuu." Musubi paused in her action of washing my back and placed the bottle in my hand.

Kuu happily grabbed the cap and ran over to me, taking a seat in front of me, facing away. "Here you go, onii-chan." I took the cap and placed it on her head. Pouring a little shampoo in my hand, I lathered it up and began massaging it into Kuu's hair, rubbing her scalp firmly.

"Toyotama-tan, what do you think we should tomorrow, about the Sekirei who reacted to Take-tan?" Matsu asked her fellow Sekirei.

My first Sekirei released a breath, "I honestly don't know what do aside from keeping Takeshi-kun close to one of us. Besides, do we know how strong this Sekirei is?"

"Unwinged or not, she's still a single number." Uzume said while slipping into the bath. "If we do end up running into her, it could end up being a tough fight."

"I would love to fight her; fighting a single number would be so great." Musubi said with glee.

I released a breath, "You know, I'd rather avoid a fight if I had a choice." Keeping my wandering eyes under control, I tried to come up with something that would both appease my girls and let me keep my independence. "Well… We could do it this way: I could have Kuu stay with me on the ground when I go to work and the rest of you could scout around while Matsu uses the satellite to keep a bird's eye view of the general area."

Matsu nodded, but said, "That could work, but what about your meeting with the district supervisor? Wouldn't bringing Kuu hurt your chances of keeping the promotion? Last I checked, it doesn't look good if you bring people with you to work who don't belong there."

I snorted, shaking my head. "You make it sound like I actually care what he says. All I really care about right now is making sure all of you are happy and if that means letting all of you stick closer to make sure that I'm safe, then I'll gladly step on a few toes. Hell, I'll even stomp on them with a twelve pound boot. If it's for all of you, then I would gladly walk through the streets, kicking people in the shins, laughing maniacally as I did so." I then laughed evilly, tickling Kuu on her bare sides.

Amidst Kuu's surprised laughter, Toyotama simply shook her head. "I love you and all, but I can tell you're talking out your ass right there. Would really 'step on a few toes' if we asked you to do something?"

I nodded, glancing down to Kuu. "You're darn right."

"What if I asked you ravish me on the roof of Maison Izumo?" Toyotama grinned evilly, daring me to continue.

I sucked in a pained breath, "I see what you're doing, Toyotama. Asama-san said we can't do anything lewd under her roof, so you said _on_ her roof. We're still on her property though. I want to say yes, but those are toes I can't even nudge, let alone step on."

"Onii-chan?" Kuu caught my attention. "What's 'ravish' mean?"

I exhaled quickly in surprise. Catching my breath, I tried to regain control of the situation. "Uh, it's…when you…" I looked to my other Sekirei and mouthed 'Help'.

Uzume grinned, "You see, Kuu, 'ravish' is something you can do when you're older."

"Okay…but what is it?" Kuu, the precocious little Sekirei, continued to probe for information.

"Here's the thing Kuu, we can't tell you. It's something you learn when you're old enough." Uzume managed to smooth-talk her way around Kuu's questions.

Kuu released, nodding her head lightly. "Okay. How old does Kuu have to be?" The questions seem to be rolling out of her. Damn it.

Uzume looked up to me, thankfully, and waited for me to pick up the conversation.

"Well, Kuu, you have to until you're eighteen years old. After all, everyone has to wait until they're that age in order to know what 'ravish' means." _Not really, but that's how long you're going to wait, Kuu, if only for my sanity and sensibilities._ That earned a smirk from Toyotama and Matsu. I released a breath and leaned to the side, grabbing a small bin and filled it with water. "Anyway, close your eyes, Kuu, I'm washing the soap out of your hair." When she complied, I poured the water slowly over her head, washing away all of the soap. Putting the bucket to the side, I said, "Musubi, I think I'm good. I think it's time I take a nice soak in the bath. Nice job, it was real soothing." I smiled appreciatively over my shoulder.

Returning a smile, Musubi nodded, "Thank you, Takeshi-san. I really liked washing your back."

I chuckled, relishing in her overwhelmingly positive attitude. "In that case, I'll return the favor whenever you like." Lighting rubbing Kuu's head, I stood and walked passed her, slowly stepping into the bath. Slipping into the water, I relaxed into the corner and placed my arms on the edges. Smiling easily to Toyotama, he spoke with easy confidence, "I hope you don't mind me joining you."

She smirked, lifting her leg slowly from the bath and allowing the water to drip off slowly. "Not at all." Propping her foot on the edge of the bath, Toyotama looked to me with a knowing look.

I couldn't help but drink in the movement, taking in her perfectly firm, shapely leg. My eyes tracked the sliding water droplets snaking down her leg, only to be stopped by the surface of the water. At that moment, I contemplated removing the trunks, if only to free myself some room down there. Looking to Toyotama, I unconsciously licked my lips. "You're trying to cause an incident, aren't you?"

She simply grinned, "Maybe."

I rolled my eyes. Leaning my head, I closed my eyes and relaxed into my seat. Releasing a breath, I said, "You know, a part of me actually wants to meet this Sekirei. I want to see if I can talk to her; you know, without her trying end my life with a flick of her wrist."

"If that's what you want, I could always tie her up with my cloth; although that could awkward really fast when the reaction picks up." Uzume humored me, smiling lightly.

* * *

><p>I walked down the steps to the first floor, fixing my tie. Grumbling, I struggled with it, but failed miserably. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I released a frustrated breath and tried in vain to glare at the piece of clothing that hung around my neck, as if mocking me.<p>

I heard a door open from around the corner. Peeking around the corner of the stair rail, I saw Kagari step out of his room. Upon seeing me, he lifted his hand and said, "Morning, Hitomi. What has you up this early?" Upon reaching me, he arched an eyebrow at my clothes. "You're dressed up, too? I have to say, you wouldn't look out of place in a host club."

Snorting, I shook my head. "I sure as hell hope you aren't a job scout. I couldn't be a host because you have to dress yourself up everyday for work. I, for one, hate dressing up; I feel like I'm being choked by formalities, it's suffocating." I flipped at my tie, "Plus, I despise ties with a passion."

Kagari let out a short laugh. "I have to say, I'm actually glad you're not a host. Otherwise, I'd probably lose all of my customers."

I didn't laugh. Instead, I affixed a concerned look on my fellow tenant. "You're not coming on to me, are you?"

Surprised at my sudden question, Kagari choked on air. "N-no, I'm just trying to be polite. After all, it's not everyday we see you dress yourself up."

I simply looked at the male Sekirei, watching him fidget under my gaze. Suddenly, a large grin spread on my face. "Gotcha! I was joking. Thanks for the compliment, but it's still not going to increase the frequency of which I wear these damn clothes."

He released a sigh and shook his head, "You really remind of someone I once knew, it's almost uncanny."

"Really, who?" I said nonchalantly as I glanced down to my annoying tie, once again trying to fix it.

He was silent for a moment, but said. "A friend. He was a bit of an eccentric and a genius. He was kind, but he could be the scariest person you would know."

I chuckled, "Nothing's more frightening that Hannya Asama-san has." I paused for a moment, still fiddling with the annoying piece of clothing around my neck. "What do you mean by 'was'?"

Kagari shrugged, "I'd rather not say anymore, if you don't mind." I nodded in understanding, but while I still fiddled with the tie, Kagari released an exasperated sigh. "Give me that." Slapping my hands away, he undid the tie and tied it again, this time it was perfect.

Looking down at his handiwork, I nodded in appreciation. "I have to say, you have a talent, dear sir."

He snorted, "It's a job skill."

At that moment, Uzume appeared from around the corner. At the moment she saw me, she froze in space and allowed her eyes to look me up and down. Slowly, but sure, an appreciative purr rolled from between her lips. "My, Takeshi, where has this side of you been?"

I rolled my eyes, "Hiding in the corner of my closet, that's where. I hate dressing up; it suffocates me." I grumbled as I pulled the button collar out so I could get a reprieve from the choking sensation.

Uzume walked forward and grabbed my hand. "I have to say, bro, it's a waste that you don't dress up more often." When I grimaced and shook my head like an impetuous child, she laughed lightly. "You really remind me of someone when you act like that. An old friend."

I scrunched my eyebrows, connecting a few dots. "Kagari said the exact same thing to me just a few seconds ago. That makes me wonder: are the two of you talking about the same person?"

My cloth Sekirei blanched lightly as she looked to Kagari. Upon glancing to her fellow Sekirei, I noticed that he too was looking a little pale. Uzume quickly cleared her throat, "Well, of course, our adjuster was the same person. He did have a major impact on our lives after all."

"Your adjuster?" I had heard the term before, from my mother, but she had never elaborated upon it, no matter how many times I asked. Who better to get some information from than the very people who worked directly with them? "Who was your adjuster?"

Kagari released a breath and checked his watch. "Well, look at the time. I promised Chiho I'd meet her in a little while, so I'll leave it to you, Uzume." He promptly turned and walked towards his room.

Uzume sighed and crossed her arms. "His name was Takehito Asama and he was a great man and a genius, rivaling Minaka even. He was the adjuster for all the single numbers including me, except for Number 09."

I nodded, but froze when I heard the name. "Takehito _Asama_? You mean your adjuster was Asama-san's husband?" I asked, slightly incredulous, but kept my voice low.

Hugging herself, Uzume nodded, "Yes, but don't ask me about him. It's not my place to tell you about Takehito, it's Miya's." She looked to me pleadingly.

I sighed and placed my hand on her arm. "You don't need to worry. All I wanted to know who I was inadvertently imitating. I'll go to Asama-san if I have any questions about her husband." I paused, crossing my arms. "Don't know why I would though, I don't think he's connected to me anyhow." Shrugging, I stepped by Uzume and placed my hand on her lower back. "Let's go get breakfast, I don't know about you, but I'm famished." Uzume smiled gratefully and allowed me to lead her into the dining room.

Upon entering the dining room, I was greeted by Miya sitting at her place on the table. When she looked to me, she arched an eyebrow and said, "My, what did you do with my tenant and could you tell me how long you'll be staying sir?" She lifted a hand and covered her smile.

I released a breath. "Ha-ha-ha, Asama-san. I have to wear this for my meeting with the district supervisor. I'd have gone with my everyday clothing, but my site supervisor told me that it would look good for me if I dressed up. I'm trying to keep my job, is all." Shrugging off my jacket, I hung it on the edge of a dresser. Taking a seat, I sat back and rubbed my stomach. "Right now, I'm trying to get breakfast and not ruin my clothes. This is going to prove to be a paramount task that I have to complete."

At that moment, Yomi walked into the room, carrying the tray of food. "Everything's finished Miya. All we have to do is bring it in." I couldn't help but notice a slight, almost unnoticeable limp as she walked; something I noted with a hint of male pride. Upon seeing me, her face lit up in a radiant smile. "Takeshi-sama, you're awake!" When she saw what I wore and took it all in, she blushed heavily.

I returned her smile and said, "Morning to you to Yomi; I see you're awake and helping out Asama-san with breakfast."

She walked up to the table and began moving things from her tray onto the table. "Yes, I managed to get up really early and meet Miya downstairs." She hesitated and shrugged with a small smile. "Though it still hurts to walk…"

I couldn't help it, I grinned widely, unable to hide my masculine pride. "Well, hopefully it won't interfere with our plan today. I'm sure Uzume or one of the others told you of what we're going to do?" I cast a look up to said Sekirei and gave her a questioning look.

She grinned, "Toyotama and I told her everything; more specifically, we all traded a few stories." Winking down to me, Uzume walked around the table and towards the back door. Sliding it open, she revealed two of my Sekirei slugging it out in the backyard.

Before she could say anything, I pushed myself to my feet and said, "Wait a moment." Walking around the table, I made my way to the back door and watched the spar unfold. The two of them seemed to be evenly in a way. Musubi would strike quickly and accurately, but Toyotama would keep her at bay with her staff. Spinning and jumping, Toyotama remained on the defensive, making sure that Musubi would have to work to close the distance between the two. To an outsider it would look as though they were simply sparring, but to me, I could see more. I could see a profound trust between the two. It's difficult to explain, but I knew that if one of them managed to land a strike, then she would stop herself before she would harm the other. Yet, neither of them held back. I heard the air fly, spin and tear around the two of them as they moved faster than I could ever hope to be. The two of them were flying across the backyard, as if performing complicated routines; trading and evading blows.

When Toyotama noticed me standing there, it didn't faze her at all. Slamming the end of her staff into the ground, she spun around a punch and stood behind Musubi. Quickly pulling her staff around Musubi, she grabbed the back of her shirt and drove her staff into the ground directly behind her sister Sekirei. Kicking it back, she knocked Musubi's foot out from under her and pulled her over her head, using the staff as leverage. Flipping Musubi through the air, she helped the girl land back on the ground in front of her.

Taking that as the end of the spar, Musubi clapped her hands together. "Wow, Toyotama, you're really strong! I couldn't hit you at all."

Toyotama smirked lightly, "You're not so bad yourself. I had a hell of a time trying to keep away from those fists of yours."

At that moment, I noticed something. Toyotama was out of breath. Musubi, on the other hand, was still breathing evenly, perfectly fine. I believe Musubi may have some untapped potential and she's just now accessing it.

Of course, at that moment, I felt something latch onto my leg. Looking down, I noticed that Kuu was looking up to me with wide eyes. Smiling down to her, I said, "Morning, Kuu, did you have a nice sleep?"

"Yeah, Kuu slept really, though I wish I was in onii-chan's room." She pouted to me.

"I'm sorry, Kuu, but there's nothing I can do. Just be good to Asama-san, okay, and I'll take you somewhere nice." I tried to placate her with some innocent bribery.

Her eyes brightened up, "Really?"

"Yep, but first we have our plan today, remember?"

"Yeah, it's to protect you from that really mean Sekirei!" Kuu scrunched up her face angrily.

I chuckled and shook my head, "C'mon, it's time for breakfast." Looking over to Toyotama and Musubi, I said, "C'mon, girls, it's time to eat. I'm starving here."

Toyotama snorted and walked up to me. Looking me up and down, she smirked and stepped up onto the porch. Suddenly, she grabbed me by my tie and pulled me into a deep kiss. Our lips moved slowly in sync as she pulled herself closer into my body, pushing every one of her curves into my own contours.

It took Asama-san clearing her throat to get Toyotama to break the kiss. I blinked slowly, trying to regain what little focus I already had. Licking my lips, I watched as Toyotama smirked and strode into the dining room, noting the obvious sway in her hips. Clearing my throat, I blankly ruffled Kuu's hair and said, "Well, let's go inside Kuu, Musubi. It's time for breakfast." Walking inside with Kuu still attached to my leg, I leaned down and plopped onto my seat, still trying to regain my wits. "Am I supposed to take a hint?"

"Maybe… If what Yomi told us is true, then definitely." Toyotama gave me a very heavy look, while Yomi blushed heavily.

"Now, now, now. There will be no more of this, understand?" Miya smiled menacingly to each of us, while a black aura began to grow behind her.

That sobered me up in an instant. "Alright, alright!"

* * *

><p>After breakfast, Kuu and I stood at the front door. Matsu was behind the two of us, seeing us off. The others had already headed off and were waiting for us at the construction site. "Well, Take-tan, it's the moment of truth."<p>

I released a breath and out a hand into one of my pockets. "Yeah, but I'm not worried. I've got all of you covering me."

Matsu paused and took a step forward. "Regardless of that, how about a kiss for goo-" I interrupted her by pressing my lips onto hers, wrapping my free arm around her waist and pulling her into me. Placing her hands on my chest, she melted against me. After a few moments, I broke the kiss and took a step, taking in the blush that took place on her face. "My, Take-tan, you sure know how to make a girl swoon." She then grinned her trademark grin, "Matsu can't wait for her turn to experiment."

I grinned in response and said, "It'll be exhilarating." Looking down to Kuu, I saw her pout dangerously, glaring at me. I sighed and crouched down, kissing her earnestly on the forehead. "You've got your plant?"

She smiled at the kiss and held up her potted plant with a single green leaf resting above the soil. "Yes, I do onii-chan!"

I stood and released a breath, fixing m jacket more firmly in place. "Well, here we go. Keep an eye on us, Matsu, I trust you."

Matsu waved her hand and saw us off.

The walk itself didn't take long, but every so often, I would see one of my girls in the distance, keeping an eye out for my assailant. Upon reaching the construction site, I was very nearly physically assaulted by my boss; hopefully, soon to be employee if this on site interview went well enough. "Oi, what's the rush?" I said with a light laugh.

He simply glared at me, "This is not a laughing matter Hitomi-kun. If this interview doesn't go well, then not only are you out of a job, but I will be demoted for recommending you."

I lifted a hand to calm him, "Chill. It will go perfectly. You know me, I ooze charisma out of every word I speak. If I actually try, I can have the guy eating out of the palm of my hand."

He glared directly into my eye, "You don't understand! This man is notorious for tearing apart any and all possible chances someone has to move up. If you're not careful, he will destroy you!"

I released a tired breath and placed a hand on the crazed man's shoulder. "Relax, it'll be nothing compared to one of the near-death experiences I've lived through. I'll make it, don't you worry." I looked down to Kuu, "Let's go Kuu; we've an interview to knock out of the park."

"Okay!" As the two of us walked inside, I saw the boss's incredulous stare at Kuu, no doubt surprised that I took a child with me.

I strode confidently into the construction site, looking around for the man who would give me the evaluation.

"Excuse me, would you be the Takeshi Hitomi I've heard so much about?" I turned to see the source of the voice. It was an elderly gentleman with an obvious toupee, who was dressed rather professionally in a brown suit and black tie.

I fixed my tie with a small smile and extended my hand. "The one and only. Who might you be?"

He simply regarded my hand with distaste and wrote something on his clipboard. "I'm the man who's going to decide your future with our company." His eyes went from the clipboard to the little Sekirei who stood at my side. When he narrowed his eyes at her, I felt her step behind my legs to hide. "Who's the child and why is she here?"

I sucked in a breath and said, "She's my bodyguard." I simply looked at him, no shame or deceit present in my eyes. It's the truth, one that I feel no need to hide.

"Your…bodyguard?" He asked me, giving me a look reserved for escaped mental patients and raging psychopaths.

"Yep. Little Kusano here is going to protect me from the bad guys. Right Kuu?" I looked down to her and smiled, resting my hand on her head. She returned my smile with beaming equivalent.

He arched an eyebrow and stared, "Protect you with what, her potted plant?"

"Yep." I said with a straight face.

He simply looked at me, allowing his clipboard to fall to his side. "You're kidding me with this. You're the boy that I've heard nothing but positive comments about? You're the boy who has connections with MBI and a promised job there when you graduate university? My god, if this is true then I fear for the future of the country." Shaking his head, he continued, "You know what, I'm done. You clearly don't care about this interview, so I'll do you a favor and cut it short. You'll get a call later detailing your new position." He then turned and started walking away.

I sighed and cleared my throat. "I'm sorry sir, I do care. It's just tha-" My instincts screamed at me to move. Something was coming and I had to move. Lunging forward, I yelled out to one of the solitary workers, "Hey, catch him!" Pushing the evaluator forward, I grabbed Kuu and dived backwards. That was just in time for two very familiar people to come crashing down right where I used to be standing. Hibiki and Hikari dived forward and took off running into the construction field.

Quickly following them was someone I wished I had met with a small army standing at my back, i.e. my Sekirei. Clad in her black and white dress, the newest Sekirei to boast a psychic connection to me stood and crossed her arms under her breasts, emphasizing her ample bosom. Her long flowing blonde hair whipped lightly as she glared directly at me, bright blue eyes alight with rage. "Move, monkey, I'm going after the rogues who felt it fit attack me."

"Uh, sure?" I pushed myself up and stepped back, ushering Kuu to follow.

Unfortunately, that brilliant attempt at escape proved to fail spectacularly because it seems the sound of my voice triggered something in her. A brilliant blush came over her features as her eyes widened. "You… You're the impudent monkey who dared to make me react."

I bit my lip lightly, "Uh… no I'm not." I said quickly.

She paused, no doubt surprised at my immediate denial of her accusation. In all her bravado, she's seemed to have failed to realize that the person she was reacting to had a striking wit that could catch anyone off guard. "What? Yes you are."

"Nope. You seem to have found the wrong guy. The guy you're looking for never dresses up." I gestured to my attire. "See, I'm wearing a suit. That guy hates this type of clothing. He says it's suffocating."

Tsukiumi narrowed her eyes at me, "You think me a fool, don't you monkey?"

I sucked in a breath, grimacing. "It was worth a try, wasn't it?"

She grimaced, scrunched her brows in frustration. Lifting her hand, she pointed to me and said, "I've had enough of your jokes. Today you die, monkey! Water Celebration!"

I dived to the side with Kuu, barely avoiding the blast of water. "Well, there goes the plan to just talk. Kuu, I need you to stand out of the way. She's after me so I'll play a little tag to keep her busy until the others get here." I told her in spite of the incessant shaking of her head.

"No, onii-chan, Kuu wants to help you."

I grabbed her by the shoulders, but before I could say anything, Tsukiumi interjected. "Y-you fiend! You actually sunk your claws into a child? I'll be doing the world a favor in removing you!"

Kuu growled at the opposing Sekirei and I wasn't that far behind. Pointing angrily, I growled out, "Let me set one thing straight, I am _not_ a lolicon! I just have an overwhelming big brother instinct. And stop calling me 'monkey'!"

Tsukiumi glared pointed at me, extending her finger. "Enough chatter, monkey! Water Celebration!" A jet of water shot towards me.

"Kuu, go!" I dived to the side, narrowly dodging the water blast. Running towards the currently in construction building, I raced up a nearby wall, evading another blast of water. Undoing my tie, I pulled it free from my neck and whipped it upwards as I ran forwards, wrapping it around a nearby pole and followed my momentum. Flipping upwards, I landed on the next floor and pulled my tie free. Unbuttoning my shirt, I pulled my shirt out from my pants and felt leagues better. "Ah, freedom…" I grinned to myself.

"Stay still so I can kill you, monkey!" Tsukiumi called out to the building.

"Yeah, you're not really helping your case, you know that, right?" I called out back to her. Looking around, I noticed that there were no stairs leading up to the next floor. Turning to the window, I wrapped the tie around my hand and pulled my jacket off. Racing towards the window, I held the jacket in front of my face and leapt forward, crashing through the glass. "I'm so going to get fired for this!" Grabbing the edge of the window, I shook my jacket to shake some of the glass loose. Releasing a shaky breath, I couldn't help but look down at the ground below me. Shaking my head, I made my way up to the next floor.

As soon as I made it, I was greeted by the sight of a pair of white panties. Above those was the Sekirei who promised to kill me. She grinned evilly down to me. "What were you planning on doing?"

I innocently smiled up to her, "Make a new friend?"

Tsukiumi paused, staring incredulously at me. The blush on her face grew, causing her breath to pick up.

Taking advantage of the situation, I threw myself to the side and grabbed onto a support beam. Wrapping my jacket around the beam, I slid and cascaded downwards, heading quickly back to the ground. Looking up, I realized that the water Sekirei had noticed I was getting away. Clicking my tongue, I released my jacket with one of my hands and planted my feet onto the wall, kicking away from the wall. Flipping backwards, I managed to narrowly evade one of the water blasts…only to be smacked by a second one. Skipping across the ground, I groaned lightly. "Ow, oh…fuck me, that hurt." Pushing myself to my feet, I looked up to see Tsukiumi evading a bolt of lightning. Quickly following her, Hikari and Hibiki managed to dodge a blast of water.

"Hey, kid, I hope you didn't take too much of a fall." Seo smirked down to me. I also noticed that he was holding a cat, which looked like it would rather be anywhere but here.

I lifted a hand and scratched my head, spitting out some water. "It wasn't too bad. The water broke my fall."

He snorted. "What water?"

I looked down at myself. "The water I'm covered in, that's what."

A few seconds later, Kuu came running up to me. Putting her potted plant on the ground, she leapt up to me, grabbing my waist. "Onii-chan! I was so worried she would hurt you."

I rubbed her head comfortingly. "I'm fine. My plan only partially failed. You know I wanted to keep away from her until everyone else got back. Well, at least she's going to be distracted for a little while." I paused for a moment then looked over to Seo, "Could you make sure it doesn't go too far?"

Seo snorted, "Sure kid, don't worry."

The fight between the lightning twins and Tsukiumi was rather even, in spite of the fact that it was two on one, the water Sekirei seemed to be able to hold her own rather well. However, it took a turn for the worst when the twins evaded one of Tsukiumi's water blasts. The water blast flew towards Seo and I; in the meantime, I simply said, "Incoming in three…two…one…" I dived to the side, taking Kuu with me as I did so.

Seo arched an eyebrow at me, but before he could ask me what I said, he was struck by the blast of water. He flew back and dropped to the ground, causing the cat break free and run away.

I grimaced at the assault and got to my feet. "Well, that sucks." I released a breath and patted Kuu's head. "Wait here, okay. There's something I'm going to have to do."

Seo growled and stood. Walking towards the fight, he cleared his throat. "Do you realize how much you've cost me? That cat would've paid for three days of food!" In the midst of the twins and Tsukiumi's fight, he broke into the middle things and managed to take a hold of the water Sekirei's wrist.

"Why can't I summon my strength?" Tsukiumi struggled in vain.

Seo chuckled, "It's an ability I have, given to me by my best friend, Takehito."

She grimaced at the contact. "Take your hands off me, you monkey!"

"Why should I?" Seo pressed her against the wall and smirked. "As far as I'm concerned, you owe me. Not only did you make me lose my next paycheck, you also attacked my girls and you're calling me a 'monkey'. So…how are you going to pay me back?" He leaned in close and smirked even wider.

However, that was as far as he could go. I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from the unwilling Sekirei. His eyes met mine and he froze. "Do yourself a favor…" My voice was dark and held a promise of violence. "And step away from my Sekirei."

That was when something very strange happened; Seo began to shake in fear. He quickly released Tsukiumi and stepped quickly away from me. He held his hands up pleadingly, he said, "There, there, I let her go, so please stop." My eyes tracked his every movement, keeping honed in on the unlucky Ashikabi. Seo then stumbled backwards, landing next to the lightning twins. The two of them also started to shake in fear.

I released a breath and close my eyes, relaxing lightly. Opening my eyes, I smiled at the three of them. "Chill out, guys, it couldn't have been that scary. It was just the look I got from my trainer." Then my smile fell as I locked eyes with Seo. "However, the next time I see you that close to one of my Sekirei, I will kick your ass. Joking with me is one thing, but screwing with one of my girls is an entirely different matter."

Seo pointed to me, his finger shaking. "You j-just…used the m-"

Hikari promptly covered his mouth, shaking her head vigorously.

Grinning once again, I lifted a hand and said, "Well, hopefully we'll see each other again. You're hilarious, Seo." _Plus, I'm curious about that so-called 'ability' a certain Takehito gave you._

Turning to the side, I saw that Kuu had created herself a plant ladder of sorts up to the second story. Looking to Tsukiumi, I saw that she was blushing heavily. "What did you call me, monkey?" Her voice was soft, yet firm.

I pocketed my hands, looking her in the eye. "I called you 'my Sekirei'. Is there a problem with that? My name is Takeshi, by the way. Takeshi Hitomi." Smiling easily, I waited for her response.

Crossing her arms, she looked to the side. "You protected me from him, going as far to defend my honor." Lifting her chin, she said, "You've shown me your strength, Takeshi. Your marriage proposal, I accept it."

I paused, blinking lightly. "'Marriage proposal'?"

She strode up to me and grasped me by the scruff of my shirt. "You called me your Sekirei, which means you have proposed to me."

Slightly caught off guard, I smiled and gently took hold of her hand, releasing her grasp on my shirt. "Yes, I did. I just want to make sure if this is what you really want."

She scoffed, "I never second guess myself."

"If this is what you really want, then I can't really fight it." Stepping up to her, I placed my hands on either side of her face. Looking down to her blushing face, I slowly leaned down and pressed my lips onto hers. Wings of light erupted from her back, engulfing the entire second floor of the in progress building in light.

She broke the kiss and walked away from me. "The union is done. We are now wed…forever and ever."

"Yeah, it is. I hope things go well, Tsukiumi. I can call you 'Tsukiumi', right?" I asked her gingerly.

"Of course, we are wed after all." She glanced over to Kuu. After a moment of deliberation, she crossed her arms and turned her nose upwards. "Though she is also your Sekirei, she is only a child, I can allow that."

As if on cue, Yomi landed in the clearing and waved her hand at me. "Takeshi-sama! Is everything alright?"

Tsukiumi froze, looking down at her fellow Sekirei. "Takeshi, who is that woman?" I could hear her grinding her teeth.

"She's one of my Sekirei. Why?" I could feel her rage boiling. Something tells me this will not bode well. In spite of that, I couldn't help but allow a grin to slowly come into fruition.

Her eyebrow twitched, "How many Sekirei do you have? What number would I make for you?"

Again, as if on cue, the remainder of my Sekirei landed in the clearing next to Yomi. I sucked in a breath, taking in Tsukiumi's expression. Lifting my hand, I slowly counted off on each finger, watching my latest Sekirei's twitching eyebrow. _This is not going to end well for me, now is it?_ "Well, you would be…" I lifted a finger on my hand, counting visibly. Upon having to reach my second hand, I could hear her grinding her teeth. "…my seventh…"

Her eyebrow twitched, "Seventh? I will be your seventh Sekirei!" In a cry of frustration, she turned and suddenly smacked me with a blast of water, sending me flying over the edge.

Something tells Tsukiumi will shake up my time in Maison Izumo…and I couldn't wait.


	14. The Surprise

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, the hiatus is pretty much done. This is coming up a bit later than I wanted. I had hit a dry spell in the writing department, but I'm past that. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up sooner._

_I honestly don't know what to think of this chapter. Truthfully, I could say that for all the chapters I've wrote so far, but all of you seem to like them so much more than I do. Then again, I am a bit tougher on my own writing. I can say this though, things are picking up. I just finished writing Chapter 15 and I feel like things are picking up. Most of the stuff I've put down is mainly slice of life in the Sekirei-verse, but the episodic chapters will come to an end soon._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next installment. Read/review/etc._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Fourteen

The Surprise

I landed onto one of Kuu's plants and felt it gingerly wrap around my body, securing me as it lowered to the ground. My soaked clothes stuck to me as I undid my tie and slid it into my pocket. Pulling off my drenched shirt, I stepped away from the plant. Holding it lazily, I stood in the middle of the total distance between the newest addition to my flock and the rest of my girls. Pushing my hand through my hair, I pushed my wet hair out of my face. It was a futile gesture because some of my bangs fell back down, hanging there with the intent to mock me. Sighing in defeat, I turned to my girls and cleared my throat, "Well, allow me to introdu-" However, I, at the moment, noticed that my girls were not listening to me, but, instead, studying me intensely.

Toyotama had her staff jabbed into the ground and leaning securely against it, her hand rest on her hip as the other was resting her chin. Her eyes seemed to travel over me, no doubt drinking in the sight.

Yomi held her scythe close; her face flushed a bright red. I think it was because she's already seen me that she's able to better visualize… I'm going to stop right there. I'd rather not try to rationalize what's going through the mind of one of my many sexually crazed Sekirei.

Uzume also seemed to be enamored in the sight before her. Placing a hand on her hip, she very clearly looked me up and down, not bothering to hide licking her lips. However when she met my eyes, she froze. A small blush overcame her face as she looked into my eyes. Mouthing something, she placed her free hand on her chin.

Even the ever-naïve Musubi wasn't sparing me the complimentary indignity of being admired by staring. Holding her arms in front of her, she watched me with her adorable doe-eyes. A small blush accented her features, cementing the fact that she had been corrupted by her fellow Sekirei. To think, I actually felt spared from attempts of forcing me to drop my pants around her.

Looking back up to the in progress building, I saw that not even an entire day had passed before Tsukiumi was entranced by my physique. Her arms were crossed under her ample chest as she looked down to me. Standing sideways, she stood tall as the wind blew lightly, making her skirt flip upwards and flash me lightly. She clearly didn't seem to notice because a blush was stamped on her face.

I couldn't help but groan when I noticed Kuu was also staring down at me. I could tell she was a little confused as to why the others were doing it, but she did so nonetheless.

Shaking my head, I walked over to where I had dropped my jacket. Lifting it from the ground, I patted the dirt out and threw it on over my shoulders, pushing my arms through the sleeves. "You know, I never thought I'd ever be the one to say this: but I'd love to go one day without being gawked at if I go shirtless." Shrugging, I released a breath, "Let's get back home, I'm sure that today's over with right now." Looking up to Kuu, I held out my arms and said, "Jump; I'll catch you."

Kuu nodded and closed her eyes, jumping off the ledge of the building. Moving to the side lightly, I felt her fall squarely into my outstretched arms. She opened her eyes to me and grinned, chuckling lightly.

"You look so comfortable right now." I arched an eyebrow at her, trying to hide a sly smile. "You don't want to get down, do you?" I smirked lightly, a corner of my mouth quirking up.

Shaking her head, she snuggled into my shoulder and releasing a breath.

I sighed and noticed that Tsukiumi dropped to the ground. Glaring at Kuu, she said, "Child, stop getting close to my husband."

Sticking out her tongue, Kuu denied Tsukiumi.

Before things could escalate, I cleared my throat. "Enough; stop fighting please. At least wait until we're someplace else." Looking down to Kuu, I said apologetically, "Sorry, Kuu, but I got to put you down. I can't exactly carry you like this all the way back to Maison Izumo." Upon seeing her pout, I panicked lightly, "We can do it at a later time, just right now." When I placed her back on her feet, I looked back to my newest Sekirei, who was clearly trying to hide a smile. "What's so funny?"

"You stand up to a Sekirei trying to kill you, but you buckle the moment a child pouts." A small smile appeared on her face. I don't know what she was thinking, but it managed to bring forth a small grin of my own.

However, before either one of us could anymore, Toyotama strode up to us and said, "That's our Takeshi-kun. He's willing to stand against a Sekirei to help us, but when it comes to one of us, he buckles faster than it takes one of us to say our norito." She clicked her tongue in mock disappointment. "I'd expect better from the person who survived training with the black Sekirei."

I grimaced at the comment, but before I could say anything, I heard a surprised cough from Tsukiumi. Looking over to her, I saw that she was red in the face, her eyes wide in shock. "You did what?!"

I sucked in a breath. "This is going to be a long conversation. Do you mind if we wait until we get back home? I'd like to change into something aside from these suffocating shoes, put on some dry pants and actually put on a shirt."

* * *

><p>Pulling on a dry shirt, I sighed in relief from the short bath I just took. I ruffled my hair lightly, trying to shake the remainder of the water free from my hair. Flattening it down, I walked out of my room. As I headed towards the stairs, I watched as Matsu pushed the door open and step into the hallway. "Hey, Matsu, how has your day been?"<p>

"Matsu's day has been good, but it got better when you winged Tsukiumi! I can't believe you actually managed to win over a Sekirei notorious for hating Ashikabi." Matsu rushed over to me, taking my hand.

I scoffed, "You doubted me? I'm insulted." Grinning to let her know I was joking, I followed up with a shrug. "I honestly don't know what happened; I was just my normal self." Rubbing my chin thought, I bit my lip lightly. "That might be one of the reasons why she initially tried to kill me."

Matsu giggled lightly, "Take-tan has had his moments."

I pointed to her with a smile, "Ah, there you go. Accept that I'm not Mister Perfect and we'll all be great. My already impressive ego needs to be taken down a few notches."

She pouted at me, "Take-tan, you may not be Mister Perfect, but you're _our_ Mister Perfect." Matsu leaned into me, wrapping her arms around my arm and pressing her impressive chest against it.

I squirmed lightly, not exactly trying to escape her pleasant grasp. "See, it's things like that make my innocent self-deprecation into a moot point."

Matsu scrunched her eyebrows, "Do you not want to be our Mister Perf-"

I interrupted her with a sudden kiss, pulling her against me. In an instant, she melted against me, molding her every curve into my body. Moving our lips slowly in sync, I massaged her scalp gently with my fingers. She moaned lightly into the kiss as I gingerly broke the kiss. Looking into her eyes, I whispered, "Never say that again. Of course I want to be your 'Mister Perfect'. It's just that I don't want to hype myself up, only to be smacked down by my own stupidity."

"What do you mean?" She asked me, nowhere near moving from her position. .

I smirked, "What do you think? I was trained by Black Sekirei and survived. I could quite possibly be one of the most dangerous humans in the country, maybe even the hemisphere." I paused, groaning at what I just said, "But that's what I mean. I can't act like that. But it's difficult. I was practically raised by Karasuba when my mother wasn't around. I'm just…afraid I'll turn into something like the Black Sekirei. I like to fight, but I'm not obsessed with it."

Seeing the distress that I tried to hide, Matsu placed a hand on my cheek and smiled. "All of us, we know you won't turn into that. The others will fight in your place and Matsu will help you with electronic warfare and information gathering. You don't need to worry because all of us will be there for you."

I simply looked at her, completely caught off guard. Before I had met these girls, I would've questioned the conviction of anyone who said that. However, now, I felt completely secure. I knew she meant it, and would perfectly go along with what they said. "Thank you." I whispered and pulled her into another embrace. Squeezing as tight as I could, I made sure that she was able to feel the feeling that was surging inside of me.

After a few moments, I broke the embrace and released a breath. Grinning down to my hacker Sekirei, I said, "How is it you always know what to say?"

Matsu shrugged, a small flush present on her cheeks. "Matsu just says what she feels." Stepping up to me, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Now that we've had a moment, are you going to ravish me with the thought that we've made another connection?"

I rolled my eyes and grinned, "Just like that, the moments over." Leaning down, I gave her a light peck on the lips. "Speaking of gathering information, were you able to find anything on Kaede?"

Matsu slowly broke away from me and began to walk downstairs. I followed her closely as she told me what she found. "No, Matsu couldn't find anything on her. It wasn't for lack of trying either, Matsu searched everywhere that she could and managed to get into places she couldn't before, but there was literally nothing on her." She paused, crossing her arms and pouting like a defeated child. "It's almost as if there's no information on her at all."

I crossed my arms and thought about that little tidbit. "No information? That's…a bit extreme, don't you think? I mean, Minaka loves control and having no information on an important player in his game is pretty much the same as having someone run free." I rubbed my chin and sighed heavily. When we reached the bottom of the steps, I turned towards the dining room. Sliding the door open, I strode in to see everyone sitting around the table.

"Well, bro, it seems like you winged a stubborn one." Uzume looked up to me from her seat as I walked into the dining room.

Standing at the head of the table, Tsukiumi began to speak, "I believe it's time for my husband to explain a few things to me. As his only, true wife, I believe it is important for me to know what my husband has done."

Clearing my throat, I was about to start speaking, when Musubi spoke up. "Hey, I'm Takeshi-san's wife too!" She jumped up and glared cutely at Tsukiumi.

Scoffing, Tsukiumi simply waved her hand. "There can be only one true wife. The rest of you are simply concubines. I am the true wife."

Musubi placed a hand on her chin in thought and said, "I don't know what that is, but I'm Takeshi-san's wife too!"

I groaned as I watched the argument between the two. Musubi and Tsukiumi went back and forth while Kuu paused in thought at Tsukiumi's words. Smiling widely, my littlest Sekirei raced around the table and latched onto my leg, sticking her tongue at the Water Sekirei.

Matsu giggled into her hands. "It's a soap opera! A soap opera!"

Toyotama simply watched the argument, an amused expression on her face. Uzume was trying in vain to hold back a wide grin.

Yomi, on the other hand, was smiling smugly. It was a look that I recognized immediately. Seeing me eye her suspiciously, she winked and grinned. I sincerely hoped she wouldn't say anything that would get me the ire of my newest Sekirei.

Clearing my throat, I caught the attention of the bickering Sekirei. "Okay, let me set one thing straight, no one here is the 'head wife'. All of you stand equally in my eyes. Understand?" I gave Tsukiumi a level look, meeting her blue eyes. When she nodded, I motioned for Matsu to take a seat. "Alright, Tsukiumi, you wanted an explanation about what Toyotama said earlier, me being trained by the Black Sekirei, correct?" She nodded, a small flush taking over cheeks. "Well, it's true. I was trained by Number 04 Karasuba herself for ten years of my life. Thanks to the draconian training she put me through; I'm exceptionally skilled in both hand-to-hand and with the sword."

Before Tsukiumi could respond, I heard a slight purring noise. "Wow, bro, I love it when you take charge. Don't hesitate to be forceful, I love it when you show who the man is." Uzume grinned sensually, her eyes narrowed lightly.

I grinned as I met her eyes, "Well, you've seen nothing yet. I'm on a roll, so just sit back and watch." Walking around the table, I stood on the veranda and happened to see a giant gash in the ground. At the first glance, I paid it no mind, but it immediately caught my attention. Stepping off the veranda, I strode over the miniature crevice and peered into it. "Who in the hell fucked up the yard?" I flinched at my sudden curse and turned towards everyone, "Don't repeat what I just said unless you're at least 5'5" and sixteen years old, even then, don't say it in front of Asama-san."

I heard my staff Sekirei snort lightly, as she looked over Kuu. The little Sekirei perked up at my language, but pouted at my set prerequisites.

Uzume smirked and looked slyly over to Yomi.

Yomi lifted a hand sheepishly and said, "That was me, Takeshi-sama."

Jumping up, Musubi raced over to me and looked down the mini crevice. "You should've seen it, Takeshi-san! Yomi and I were sparring when she suddenly used one of her scythe air slashes. It cut into the ground and went really deep!"

I blinked a few times and pulled out my phone. Flipping it open, I reached into the crevice and looked around with my phone as a light. "This is a very deep hole. Yomi, were you always able to do this? This thing is deeper than I am tall." Through my periphery, I noticed Kuu sneaking to my side, no doubt to peak into the lit abyss that is the new Maison Izumo Chibi-Crevice. I extended an arm and held her back with my hand to stop her from getting too close.

Squirming from my question, Yomi rubbed her hands together under the table. "Well, not to that extent. Before, we would just fill it back up with Kuu's plant power, but I've never been able to make it that deep."

"When were you able to use that much power without a Norito?" Uzume asked her, sounding curious.

Blushing heavily, Yomi held a hand in front of her chest. "After I was able to walk again, I woke up before everyone else like I normally do. After helping Miya with breakfast, we went outside for our regular spar, right before Musubi normally joins." She paused and began playing with her hair, "However, it went a little differently. I managed to surprise Miya and Musubi with my speed and made them go on the defensive. After a little while, she told me to use one of my scythe distortions. When I did, I think I surprised her enough to warrant her to dodge it. That's when it made a similar mark in the ground."

I paused, trying to process what she just said. I don't know why, but there were clearly some dots that needed to be connected; an effect that had to be placed with the correct cause. The one thing that caught my attention was that she said she surprised _Miya_ of all people. I had sparred with her personally, so I had firsthand experience with what she could bring to the table. For Yomi to surprise Miya there had to be a major jump in ability or skill. If that were the case, then what was the cause for such a major jump in ability/skill? I don't recall Yomi ever gorging on rare candies, carbos, or protein.

"Wait, what do you mean 'after you were able to walk again'?" Tsukiumi asked; confusion present in her tone of voice.

Yomi flushed heavily; looking down, causing her bangs to conceal her face, she pushed her pointed fingers together. "Um, well, you see-"

"Wait!" I called out before Yomi could continue the conversation that would lead to an attack against my person. If Tsukiumi reacted as harshly as she did when I told her that she was my seventh Sekirei, then I was absolutely terrified of what she'd do when she found out that Yomi and I had been the first group to consummate our relationship. Clearing my throat, I rubbed my chin lightly. "I need to do something before you continue, Yomi." Looking over to the others on the table, I said, "Uzume, Toyotama and Matsu, could the three of you come over here please?"

Toyotama had quite an amused expression on her face as she stood from her seat and walked over to me.

Uzume arched an eyebrow at me before approaching me.

Matsu pushed herself up off of the table and approached me, her hands hidden in her sleeves. "Yes, Take-tan?"

"Alrighty, I need to go along with what I'm doing. Got it?" They nodded, each looking both perplexed and amused at the same time. Taking Toyotama by the hand, I lead her to stand in front of me, turning her to face the inn. Ushering Uzume to stand next to Toyotama, I then moved Matsu on Toyotama's opposite side. Gesturing Musubi over to me, I shuffled her next to Uzume and looked at my handiwork, not exactly hiding the fact that I was checking out my Sekirei. Rubbing my chin, I noticed a gap between the shapely legs of Toyotama right and Uzume's left. Gesturing Kuu to walk over to me, I lifted her and placed her in front of me, blocking that opening. Grinning at my makeshift Sekirei barricade, I looked over Uzume's head and called out, "Yomi, you can continue your explanation." After that, I leaned in between Uzume and Toyotama and said, "Okay, as soon as Yomi's finished speaking, I want the five of you to stay here and wait for me to book it around the corner of the inn. Don't move until then, okay?"

My cloth Sekirei arched her eyebrow, "Um, okay, but why?"

"Just do it!" I whispered to her urgently.

Smiling widely at my antics, I watched as Yomi continued her story, then spared a glance towards Tsukiumi. She, on the other hand, was watching me with unhidden interest, clearly wondering whether or not her Ashikabi was crazy…. Well, I don't know about that specifically, but I'd probably be thinking that if I were in her position.

Yomi cleared her throat. "As I was saying, I wasn't able to walk for a few hours because, well, Takeshi-sama and I…" She giggled and blushed, covering reddened face. For a moment, I wondered if I was free.

However, I clearly thought too soon. Putting two and two together, Tsukiumi froze in realization. I think it was the combination of being told that Yomi was 'unable to walk' and blushing so widely that made it so clear to her. Standing suddenly, she turned towards me, and in turn my Sekirei barricade, and pointed angrily. "You-you-you did _this_ and _that_ with-with-with…"

I peeked over Uzume's shoulder and said, "Well, it was a joint effort. Yomi wanted to roll in the hay too. I couldn't exactly say 'no'."

Tsukiumi shook with what I assume to be anger and said, "You-you-you-"

"'Lustful beast'? 'Shameless Human'? 'Sex-crazed Maniac?'" I supplied helpfully, using a name that Miya clearly took pleasure in giving me, while supplying some my own creations.

She continued to shake, but instead of replying, she extended finger. I could clearly see water gathering at the point of her finger. "Water-"

"That's my cue. Takeshi: Exit Stage Right." I took off sprinting towards the end of Maison Izumo, hoping to reach the corner before she struck.

"Celebration!" A jet of water flew towards me and swiped at my feet. Feeling said feet get taken out from under me; I threw my hands forward and planted them onto the ground. I then pushed forward, flipping forward through the air. Landing back securely on my feet, I resumed my run. However, I was clearly beaten in speed because Tsukiumi was instantly in front of me. Another jet of water struck me in the chest and while nowhere near as powerful, it still caught me by surprise, making me fall onto my back.

I groaned as I lied there on the ground. Feeling a weight on my waist, I looked down to see Tsukiumi taking a seat. Looking down to me with a slight blush, she crossed her arms and spoke. "Before y-you winged m-me, I can underst-stand that you needed an 'outlet'. H-However, now that you h-have me, you don't n-need to worry."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to stifle a smile. I had a vague idea of how she'd react if I smirked outright. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" She snapped at me, leaning down to emphasizing the point.

I lifted my hands in an attempt to pacify her. "Fine! Fine, I got it." However, as she leaned close to me, I couldn't help but take in her appearance: the blush on her face, the heavy look in her eyes and how her hair seemed to frame her face so beautifully. Moving one of my hands upwards, I gingerly placed it on the back of her neck, eliciting a slight flinch. Lifting my hand, I lifted my head ever so slightly to reach her face. Staring into her eyes, I leaned closer and felt my lip quiver as I couldn't help but have my eyes be drawn to her lips. Leaning closer, I gently pulled her closer as I moved in to kiss.

The sound of someone clearing her throat stopped me in an instant. As A froze, I felt my eyes moving to the source: my landlady. "My, Hitomi-kun, aren't you being quite energetic today."

I smiled lightly, already feeling the cold dread of her mask burning into my psyche.

* * *

><p>Sitting at the table, I tried to help Miya configure the newest sleeping arrangements. The rooms were already comfortably filled, so we were having trouble deciding which room to have her sleep.<p>

"Humph, I shall simply sleep with my husband. It is a wife's duty to share a bed with her husband after all." Tsukiumi jumped up and crossed her arms, smirking lightly.

Musubi and Yomi leapt up at the exact same time and spoke in perfect unison. "I'm his wife too!" The two of them looked at each other and smiled lightly.

"Now, now, now, we can't have anything sexually illicit happen under my roof. You were not here, Tsukiumi, when Hitomi-kun finally gave into his lustful desires." Miya covered her mouth and sighed heavily. "I knew that day would be coming. When it finally did, he abducted poor Yomi and spirited her away to a hotel, ravishing the poor girl."

"Oy!" I cried out, my face flushed lightly. "You can't just spout someone else's business!" Releasing a breath, I continued, "How about this plan? The sleep situation will be put on hold for a little while. Let Tsukiumi sleep in my room for a short while. It's only fair, considering everyone else has had the chance." When I saw her about to protest, I cut her off gently, "You don't have to worry, Asama-san. I won't break your rule." I smirked, catching her eye.

At that, the strangest thing happened: Miya actually blushed lightly, but she pushed it down quickly. "Okay, you have a point, Hitomi-kun. I'll allow it. But only for three days, then we will resolve this. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." I grinned. At that, I theatrically glanced over my shoulder and gestured towards the backyard. "One other thing, about that gash in the ground; I hear Yomi did that."

Miya smiled, pride evident in her expression. "Well, you see Yomi and I were doing our daily training session, when she lost herself a bit." She gave said Sekirei a pointed look. I glanced over to see Yomi blushing lightly. "She swung that scythe of hers and I hate to say it, but I wasn't fully prepared. The next thing I know, there was a giant gash in my yard. I trust it will be fixed soon?"

I nodded, giving her a thumbs up, "Don't worry, I'll get it fixed, but let me take a picture. The evidence of Yomi's new level of awesome must be documented for posterity." Lifting Kuu from my lap, I stood and walked over to the massive gash in the ground. Pulling out my phone, I flipped it open and turned on the camera. Taking a picture with a flash, I pushed the phone closed and turned towards Kuu. Crouching down, I asked my smallest Sekirei, "Can you close that up for your onii-chan?"

She nodded and beamed up to me, walking over to the gash.

As soon as Kuu began to use her power, my phone suddenly went off. I looked to my Sekirei and noticed a collective arched eyebrow, even coming from Miya. "I'll get that…" Pulling my phone back out, I flipped it open and checked the caller ID. "Yukari?" I muttered lightly. I pushed the answer button and held the phone to my ear. "Yeah?"

"Um, onii-chan, I have a problem…" She trailed off lightly.

That caught my attention. In an instant, my notoriously overactive big brother instinct went into overdrive. "A problem? What kind of problem?"

"Now, onii-chan, I know what you must be thinking. But, it's not that ba-"

"Yukari." I cut her off. "If it wasn't that bad, you wouldn't have called _me_ of all people. You, of all people, know how protective I am. Now, what kind of _problem_ do you have?" I knew Yukari realized what I was saying. That was essentially me-speak for 'who am I going to have hurt?'

"Um, you see, I kinda met someone on the way home…and he started talking about really strange things… Like 'reacting' and 'Sekirei'. It's not that I'm scared, it's just that it's strange."

I groaned, shaking my head. Grinding my foot in the dirt, I pulled the phone away from my face and let out a frustrated growl. That act in and of itself garnered some confused and concerned looks from my Sekirei and Miya. "What's their number?"

"You want me to ask him for his number? I haven't seen him hold a cell phone."

I shook my head, "No, not his phone number. His Number. Trust me; he'll know what you mean."

I waited and listened as Yukari relayed the question. I managed to hear a boyish voice reply. My imouto cleared her throat and said, "He's Number 107, Shiina, is what he told me. Why?"

Rubbing my chin, I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something. I growled in the back of my throat, trying to remember what was nagging at the back of my mind. "Give me a second, Yukari. I need to bounce something off the peanut gallery." Moving the phone speaker to my shoulder, I inquired my Sekirei plus Miya. "Do any of you know of a Number 107 Shiina?"

Before any of them react, Kuu slammed into my leg and sucked in a breath. "You found Shi-chan, onii-chan? Where is he?"

I slammed my palm into my forehead. "That what I was forgetting! Kuu was the one who was connected to Shiina."

"What do you mean, Takeshi?" Uzume asked me, clearly curious.

"My imouto, she's probably going to be involved with the Plan." Grinding my teeth, I flexed my hand repeatedly, feeling my nails dig into my palm. Putting the phone back to my face, I said, "We need to meet, Yukari. There are a few things I'm going to need to talk with you about. Can you come here or do you want me to meet you there? It'll have to be someplace private."

"Onii-chan! I don't know what the big city has done to you, but your imouto isn't ready for such a change in our relationship!"

I bit back a curse, "Yukari, this is serious. So I'll need to get a serious answer." That's when it hit me, Yukari was with an Unwinged, hopefully, Sekirei and there are Ashikabi who try to force themselves on said Unwinged Sekirei. "When you met Shiina, were you followed?"

"How did you know?!" Yukari cried out into my phone, causing me to pull it away suddenly.

I blinked slowly, gently grinding a thumb in my ear. "Ow, that hurt." Nodding my head lightly, I sighed and put the phone back to me ear. "Who followed you? Can you describe one of them for me?"

"Well, it's actually pretty easy to remember what they wore. It looked like one of them was a S&M fetishist; her kimono was way too small for her, barely held together by some chains. The other one, the one that threw around whips, wore a black and yellow one piece."

"Okay, I know who they are. I need you to stay in your dorm. I'll stop by tomorrow and bring you anything you may need. Call me tomorrow as soon as you wake up; do _not_ kiss him under any circumstances, do you understand me? I want to make sure you know what you're getting into, okay?"

"K-kiss him?! Why would I kiss someone I just met?!"

_You have no idea…_ "Please, do as I ask. It's extremely important."

Yukari was silent for a moment, hopefully taking in my words. "…Okay, onii-chan. I'll call you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah, of course." At that, she hung up the phone. I closed my phone and sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose between two fingers.

"Takeshi-sama, what happened?" Yomi inquired of me after a few moments.

Opening an eye, I slid my phone into my pocket. "My imouto ran into a Sekirei that reacted to her. Luckily, she called me before doing anything that could get her in too much danger."

"'Too much danger'? What did your imouto do, Hitomi-kun?" Miya asked me, concern evident in her voice.

"She apparently ran into an Unwinged Sekirei that was being chased by two of Mikogami's Sekirei. Currently, they seem to be staking out near her dorms." I sucked in a breath and grinned lightly. "I hope you know it's taking all of my self-control not to raise a little hell."

"All you need to do is ask." Uzume said, crossing her arms under her ample chest. "I'd rather not have a repeat of what happened when you raced off to get Kuu."

I shook my head. "I know, but I can't keep rushing off to save everyone." My grin widened lightly. "My sister's only a year younger than me and she's quite possibly a better student than me. She's more responsible, just a little eccentric. I'm just the lazy genius, she's the hard worker. In spite of that, I'm the older sibling, the brother. She'll stay in her dorm, but if that brat does anything to her, then we're going to war." I looked to Miya and crossed my arms, "I hope that doesn't put you off, Asama-san."

My landlady simply watched me, her eyes probing mine for something more. After a moment, she sighed. "As long as you keep it out of my inn, I don't mind if you defend your family. Just try not to get yourself and the others hurt." Pushing herself to her feet, she turned and began walking away. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "I'll be going to bed. Be sure to send Kuu to my room when she's ready to go to bed." She then left the dining room.

"Onii-chan, is it true? Do you know where Shi-chan is?" Kuu looked up to me with wide, watery eyes.

I smiled and crouched down to look her directly in the eye. "Yeah, he's in a safe place right now. My imouto is keeping an eye on him. He'll be safe until we get there tomorrow, then you can see him. Okay?"

Kuu nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I love you, onii-chan!"

I rubbed her back gently and returned the embrace. "It's late; what do you say we all go to bed?"

* * *

><p>Standing in my room, clad in nothing but a pair of shorts, I looked around my room one last time. For once, when one of my Sekirei slept in my room, there was another futon to allow her to sleep in, instead of squeezing onto mine. Looking to Tsukiumi, I couldn't help but take in her sleepwear; a light blue nightgown that seemed to emphasize her eyes. She sat on her futon, blushing as she looked up to me. "Do you normally wear so little when you sleep?"<p>

I arched an eyebrow at her, slightly surprised by her new coy attitude. "Yeah; I run hot whenever I sleep so I go like this. I never sleep nude, though; it's really awkward when I wake up." I paused, thinking for a moment. "Actually, it's a really good thing I don't because then things would get _really_ awkward and Asama-san would've probably kicked me out."

Tsukiumi blushed heavily at my words. "You run…hot?" She lifted her hand in front of her face and I couldn't help but notice her giving me a measured look.

I couldn't but grin as I walked over to my futon. Reaching to my lamp, I flipped it off and plopped right down. Lying back, I sighed heavily and placed a hand on my bare stomach and looked over to my Sekirei. "Are you going to lie down, or do you need me to tuck you in?" I couldn't help but grin at her flustered reaction as she lifted her blanket and slid under them. "I have to warn you, I'm notorious for being really clingy when I'm asleep. The others are known for taking advantage of it."

Tsukiumi paused, but said, "Okay, Takeshi." After a few moments of silence, she spoke up, "When you…chose to consummate your relationship with Yomi, what…made you choose her first? Isn't the one with the staff, Toyotama, your first Sekirei?"

I smiled lightly, "While I knew I would have to become more physically intimate with each of you at one point, the real issue was deciding on who should be first, second, third and so on. That in and of itself was a difficult decision to make, but I knew I'd have to make it soon." Releasing a sudden breath, I shook my head with a smile. "I won't do anything illicit under Asama-san's roof, because she allows all of us stay here. I've brought in so many Sekirei; any sane landlord would've kicked me out by now. However, she's put up with all of our insanity. Most of all mine."

A small laugh escaped my bedmate. "Your 'insanity'?"

I grinned, "You haven't known me long enough to notice, but you'll soon see that I can be a little headstrong." Pausing, I considered my wording, "Well, 'headstrong' can be a misnomer. I'm crazy. Mainly, whenever someone's in danger, I have a habit of rushing out to help, without any thought to my own health."

Tsukiumi sat up instantly, glaring down at me. "I trust you'll not do that now that I'm your wife?"

I met her glare with a small smile, "I'm learning, I assure you." Reaching forward, I gently placed a hand on her arm. "Do you remember the business at the Arboretum a while back?" When she nodded, I couldn't help but grin, already seeing her reaction. "Well, when I got the message that Kuu was a 'prize' for the first Ashikabi to arrive, I snapped."

Looking down to my hand, I noticed her leaning slightly into it. "I assume so, seeing as how attached she is to you. It's only natural to feel like you have to do something."

"No, you're not getting it. I reacted to Kuu the same way I did with Uzume…with _you_." That caused a blush to overtake her face as she looked away from me embarrassedly. "Well, when I got the message, I ran to the Arboretum like a bat out of hell; also scared the hell out of the others, too. When I made it to Kuu, I ran into a pair of Sekirei. Luckily, I also had someone else at my back. Then I did the most inconceivably stupid thing that I quite possibly have ever done."

"What…what was it?" Tsukiumi asked me, her voice soft.

"I fought her." That warranted a look of shock and anger from her. "It went back and forth for a while, but I managed to get her a few times. I actually broke her nose, I think. Well, whatever celebration I did afterwards was cut off, because the Sekirei had me in a bind."

Tsukiumi fumed, "The nerve of that Sekirei…of you, for doing something so stupid. If I ever run into her, I'll show her what happens when you hurt my Ashikabi."

I grinned, "You're a little late, Tsukiumi. Yomi leapt in and saved my life. Freeing me from her hold, she let me kiss her for a norito and promptly terminated her." I sighed and sheepishly scratched the back of my head, "During the fight, though, I said things in the heat of the moment. Things I'm not particularly proud of."

"What did you say, Takeshi?" Tsukiumi inquired, her voice sharp.

I sucked in a breath. "Things you don't say around your significant other…other_s_." Pausing, I closed my eyes and let my hand fall from Tsukiumi's arm, allowing it gingerly touch upon her hand. Sighing lightly, I said, "That answers your question, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"You asked why I chose Yomi to be my first amongst my flock. She saved my life, though I'm sure she wouldn't think anything different of it. It killed two birds in one stone; she saved me and terminated a Sekirei."

Tsukiumi was silent for a moment. I heard her lie back down, her hand slowly sliding under mine. "That's rather cold, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry. I've lived with callous or blunt individuals my entire life. My mother loves my sister and me, but she doesn't sugarcoat anything. My grandmother didn't hold anything back when I messed up in school, or when I learned manners. Yukari speaks her mind; I swear the instant something pops into that head of hers, she says or does it. Karasuba is… well, everyone knows of the Black Sekirei." I paused, thinking for a moment. "The only person I was close to that was rather idealistic and nice was Yume, but she died when I was young." I released a breath and licked my lips. "What I'm trying to say that the main reason I can be cold, callous, or rather blunt is because it was a part of my childhood. It's become a part of how I grew up. I don't particularly like it, so I'm trying to change for your sakes."

At that, I felt myself slowly delve into unconsciousness, not before I felt a certain someone grab onto my arm and rest her head on my chest.

* * *

><p>The next day, I woke up earlier than I wanted; no doubt due to the apprehension I had for Yukari. However, as I awoke, I found myself in a position that I knew would happen. I was lying on my side, blanket thrown to the side, with Tsukiumi flushed against me. I couldn't help but crane my neck and see why arms were, because I really felt the need to go. They were firmly wrapped around her body, under her breasts. Her own arms were holding tightly onto them.<p>

I grimaced and held back a whimper. I really wanted to stay like this, but a certain morning occurrence would make things extremely awkward. Releasing the hold of one of my arms, I gently slid it out from under her and slowly, reluctantly slid away from my very enticing, very vulnerable Sekirei. Grabbing a blanket, I slid it over her and slowly walked out of my room, grabbing a shirt as I did so.

Walking towards the bathroom, I walked inside. After finishing, I washed my hands and walked out of the bathroom. Pulling my shirt on, I headed downstairs and into the dining room.

"Hitomi-kun? My, you're up early?"

I turned around and noticed Miya walking out of the kitchen. I scratched the back of my head and chuckled lightly. "I woke earlier because I'm a little worried about my imouto."

Miya smiled, "Your imouto sure is lucky to have an onii-chan who's willing to go so far to help her."

I shrugged, unable to hide a blush. "She's family. Growing up, we were basically all we had. I mean, sure I trained with Karasuba and Yume, but that was so I could better protect Yukari." I snorted, shaking my head. "However, it ended up with her being able to fight for herself." I grinned and said, "Did you think that stopped me?"

Miya laughed lightly behind her lifted hand. "I don't believe so."

"Yeah, everything normally ended up in a competition." I rubbed the back of my head as I couldn't help but look back. Releasing a breath, I shook my head, "Anyway, is there anything you need help with?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I'm afraid everything is being taken care of already. Musubi and Yomi are so lively in the morning, that I can't help but give them something to do. We're going to start breakfast after our morning training session, if you want oversee it."

I smiled lightly, "You know, I'd love to see how my girls are coming along. Lead the way, Asama-san." She led me towards the veranda and as I made my way there, I saw someone leap through the air, followed by a whooshing sound. Walking quickly onto the veranda, I saw Yomi land firmly on the ground and plant her feet. Clad in nothing but one of my button-up shirts and a pair of boxers, she spun her scythe effortless in one hand and grabbed it suddenly, holding it along the length of her outstretched arm, outstretched behind her.

Yomi extended a hand and bended her forefinger and middle finger lightly. "Come at me, Musubi. It's your turn to charge me. Try and hit me!" She leapt back just in time to see Musubi strike the ground where she once stood.

Clad in Yukari's old gym uniform, bloomers and all, Musubi rocketed towards Yomi and tried to hit her as quickly as she could. The two of them seemed in near-perfect sync as the moved across the yard, resembling something like a dance. I watched in wonder as Yomi led the two of them from one end of the yard to the other, spinning her scythe every so often and using the shaft to knock a punch away. Trying to surprise her, Musubi attempted a kick that seemed quite familiar to me, but was thwarted by Yomi using the shaft of her scythe and taking out her partners other foot.

When Musubi fell to the ground, Yomi spun and pointed the blade at her partner, but she was already back on her feet. The two of them continued to go back and forth, going farther and farther in an attempt to win the spar.

"She really has come far, don't you think?" Miya asked me.

"Yeah, but I'm curious. What causes such a jump in ability?" I was baffled by how much Yomi improved. Before, she could hardly keep up with Musubi, slashing as fast as she could, but still unable to actually do anything to hold her off.

"Sekirei are…different from humans in many ways, Hitomi-kun. While training will simply elevate their skills, honing them to the best they could be; solidifying your bonds with your Sekirei and inciting their emotions will cause their power to skyrocket." She eyed me, a smile playing at her lips. "I guess when you finally shared that moment with Yomi; it must've awakened something inside of her." Miya lifted a hand and placed it over her mouth, looking away from me, though she was watching me through her periphery. "Who knew your lustful urges would actually come in handy?"

I smirked lightly as I leaned back in my seat. "That's…some handy knowledge you have their, Asama-san. I wonder where you got it." I eyed her lightly, a small smile playing at my lips.

Miya narrowed her eyes, "Hitomi-kun, are you implying something?" She herself was implying something… Something dangerous.

I lifted my hands, pleading for innocence. "I'm just wondering how you know so much, is all. Can't a guy be curious without having to fear for his life?"

Smiling at my reaction, Miya looked out towards the spar. "It's called experience. I've lived through so much, so it makes sense for me to know quite a bit."

"That makes sense." I looked towards my girls, letting the subject sit. Miya didn't want to breach that topic, so I decided to let it go. See, I can show a little common sense sometimes, too. As I watched the two of them, I heard a little pitter patter heading towards us. I looked over to the side to see Kuu walking towards the veranda, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Lifting a hand, I beckoned her over to me. "Hi, Kuu. Good morning."

Upon seeing me, she raced over to me and leapt onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Onii-chan, you're awake! Are we really going to see Shi-chan today?!"

I couldn't help but chuckled at her enthusiasm. It's strange, seeing her excited over seeing someone other than me. It almost made me feel a little jealous. "Well, if what Yukari said is true, then yeah, we will."

"Is Kuu coming with you?" She looked to me pleadingly, giving me a very pitiful look.

In return, I gave her a completely deadpan look. "Now, why would I tell you about Shiina and not take you? Of course, I'm going to take you. I have a heart, you know."

"And it's entirely too big for your own good." I heard Miya say offhandedly. I looked over to her with a look of mock pain and shock. She simply held her hand in front of her mouth and blinked in surprise. "Did I say that out loud? I'm terribly sorry." I could plainly see the smile she failed at concealing.

Rolling my eyes, I went back to watching the spar. However, it was at its tail end. Yomi and Musubi leapt back and looked to each one last time before the both of them relaxed. Letting her shoulders drop, Yomi leaned against her scythe and looked to Musubi with appreciation.

"Wow, Musubi-chan, you're still really good! I thought I had you a few times." Her shirt stuck dangerously against her skin as I couldn't help notice the shape of her legs as she leaned against the scythe.

Musubi rubbed the back of her head. "Yomi-san surprised me, too. You're really fast; I almost lost you a few times." Her clothes stuck close to her too, but since they were made with physical activity in mind, I didn't see anything, unlike Yomi's white shirt.

I cleared my throat, deciding to say something before they tackled me in surprise. "I have to say, the both of you impressed me just now." I grinned, looking to the both of them. "I'm proud to see how much you improved, Yomi, Musubi."

The two of them turned on a dime at the exact same time at the sound of my voice. Musubi lifted her hand and waved excitedly. Yomi, on the other hand, looked down at her chest, noticed that the drenched, white button-up did nothing to protect her modesty and covered her chest with a single arm.

"Takeshi-san! You're awake! When did you get up?" Musubi walked quickly over to me and stopped right in front of me.

"Just in the middle of your spar. Asama-san was telling me about how much the both of you improved." I placed a hand on Kuu's head, purely out of habit, and felt her lean into me.

"What are we doing today, Takeshi-sama?" Yomi slowly walked over to me.

"Well, I'm waiting for Yukari to call, then we head on over to her dorms. Hopefully, she doesn't need too much stuff, I want to get their quick and make sure she knows the game."

"Do you not want her to join the game?" Musubi asked me, perplexed.

I smiled at her, "I have mixed feeling about this Game. For one, I love that it's happening, because I've met all of you. On the other hand, I hate that it's happening because there's the chance that any of you can be taken away from me." I released a breath, "It's different with me. I knew what I was getting into when I joined the game by winging Toyotama. If Yukari has a chance of taking part of the game, then I want to make sure she's informed enough to make a sound decision."

Miya clapped her hands together and pushed herself to her feet. "I believe it's time for the two of you to get a bath. I can handle breakfast on my own." She looked over to me, "That is, unless you want to help me set the table, Hitomi-kun?"

"I'd love to, Asama-san." I stood as well. Looking down to Kuu, I asked her, "Do you want to help?"

She nodded enthusiastically and raced inside, followed by Miya.

* * *

><p>A few moments later, we were all sitting around the table eating breakfast, when my phone rang. Nearly choking, I swallowed some tea and placed the cup down. Pulling out my phone, I flipped it open and checked the ID. Answering, I said, "Yeah?"<p>

"I'm up, Onii-chan." She yawned. "I called just like I told you I would."

"Okay, is there anything you need?"

"Uh…nope. I'm all set."

"Good, then I'll be over there in a few moments. I just need you to give me directions." Excusing myself from the table, I went over to a side table and grabbed a pen and paper. Writing what she told me, I said, "Stay in your room, I'll only be half and hour at most."

"Onii-chan! I'll be fine." She whined to me.

"Yeah, I'll be the judge of that." I paused for a moment, then said, "Love you, sis."

"I love you, too, onii-chan." I could hear the smile in her voice.

Hanging up, I slid my phone into my pocket and walked back over to the dining room. "I'll be in my room changing. When you're done, meet me by the front door." Heading upstairs, I went into my room and changed into a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and a jacket. It was simple, easy to move in and breathed.

As I headed downstairs, I couldn't help but laugh lightly at the sight. Every single one of my Sekirei was standing right there.

"How'd I know you all would be there?"

Toyotama smirked, "This is important to you, isn't it? Making sure your imouto is safe? Well, we want to make sure you can do what you can for her." She blushed lightly, crossing her arms.

"Your wish is our command, Takeshi." Uzume winked at me, smiling warmly.

Tsukiumi cleared her throat, blushing lightly, "Um, yes. I want to do my best for my Ashikabi. I am your wife, after all." She then smiled haughtily.

Musubi and Yume scowled lightly, before looking up to me, smiling widely.

Matsu pushed her glasses up, "I can keep an eye on everyone from one of the satellites. No Sekirei will escape my sight, Take-tan."

Kuu ran up to me and latched onto my leg, "You're my onii-chan, plus we may see Shi-chan! Kuu wants to go!"

I grinned and ruffled Kuu's hair. "Alrighty, then. Let's go."


	15. The Shock

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Here's the next chapter, one that I've been looking forward to posting. This, I believe, is where a whole new game starts. I've picked up the pace a little, while throwing in the slice of life I'm used to writing._

_Nothing of note to really put, other than the fact I may be busy with school work now. I have my schedule set up so that I have plenty of time to spare, not too much that I'm simply twiddling my thumbs, but enough where I can just sit back and relax, along with write a little here and there._

_As for Takeshi, I've been trying to decide on a concrete fact in his past. I won't lie, I've changed my mind about his past many times, but it hasn't changed the way the past few chapters have progressed. However, I've finally come to a final decision. As for what that is, you're free to guess, but try not to ruin it for others. If you think you know, PM me what you think. _

_Read/review/enjoy…_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Fifteen

The Shock

I know it's overkill to have the entirety of my seven Sekirei come with me to my imouto's dormitory, but they wanted to, and I can't exactly say 'no' to any of them. I already had an idea on who I should bring with me, Kuu being one of them, but each of them wanted to come. Since I was going to a college dormitory, all of my Sekirei who use weapons couldn't get onto the campus, Yomi and Toyotama being the obvious ones, but they'd already met Yukari, so that alleviated the difficulty. Uzume already met her too, and I was planning on having her come with me, but Tsukiumi emphasized that as her new wife, I had to introduce them. I caved, clearly, but in a manner befitting a proper Ashikabi.

…And I am not trying to make up for the fact that my girls have me whipped beyond belief.

So, this was the line-up I had decided to go with: Kuu and Tsukiumi would be accompanying me, while the others would keep an eye out for Mikogami's Sekirei.

As the three of us headed towards the dormitory, Tsukiumi cleared her throat, "Takeshi, what is your imouto like?"

I grinned and chuckled, unable to hold back my natural response. "What is Yukari like? Hmm?" I tapped my chin with my free hand, my other currently clasped by Kuu's as she stayed close to me. "Well, I can probably say that she's…lively."

"What do you mean, 'lively'?" Tsukiumi asked me, clearly perplexed.

Managing to shrink my grin to a smirk, I was still unable to stop chuckling. "Well, she's a bit of a pervert." I looked over to her and examined her lightly, warranting a blush from Tsukiumi.

"W-what is it?" She crossed her arms, but I noticed that she was trying to emphasize her breasts to me.

I reached forward and grabbed her arm, pulling it down. "We're in public, remember?" I grinned at her, winking once. "Wait till we're somewhere private, 'kay?" That elicited an even darker blush, but she didn't say anything. Leaving a hand on her arm, I continued, "What I was trying to figure out was whether or not you'd be on the receiving end of her…perversions."

She looked down to my hand, but said and did nothing, though she did sidle closer to me. "Well, what do you think?"

"Definitely." I said with a smirk.

Tsukiumi huffed lightly, crossing her arms. "Do you know what she'll do?" She was clearly worried, as I noticed her pursing her lips.

I continued to smirk, "One can never know with Yukari. It depends on the girl I suppose. With Toyotama, she 'attacked' her midsection." I tried to remember back when Yukari had first ran into my Sekirei. "She outright groped Yomi. However, Yukari has never managed to catch Uzume." Looking over to Tsukiumi, I lightly examined her, looking from head to toe. "From my own personal taste, I assume she will either…" Looking around, I leaned in and whispered, "She'll either grope you or try to touch your hair."

She blushed lightly, covering her chest. "I-I see. But what makes you think she'll do _that_?"

"First thing you must learn about her is that she's extremely _grabby_. My imouto loves to put her hands on whatever her perverse little mind is targeting. Judging by your outfit, she'll be drawn directly towards your breasts." I couldn't help but chuckled lightly at the distress I saw on her face as I spoke. "As for your hair, it's probably because she hasn't known too many people with such long blonde hair. It _is_ beautiful, though." I reached to her and gently entwined my fingers within the tresses of her long, blonde hair.

A bright red color overcame her face as I noticed a proud smile grow on her face. "I-I see. It's g-good to know that my husband is so forward." Lifting a hand, she coughed lightly into it, her flush slowly receding. "Though, how would you know where she would 'attack' me?"

I couldn't stifle the incoming grin. "You see, this is a little bit of a secret. When Asama-san calls me a 'lustful beast' or anything like that, she isn't exactly wrong." Clearing my throat, I watched as Tsukiumi's blush returned to it's former brightness. "My imouto and I are on a similar 'wavelength' of sorts; because of that, I can predict what she does to a certain point. However, while my imouto will simply reach out and grab whatever catches her eye…" I leaned in and whispered, "I always make sure I have permission first."

Tsukiumi looked as though she was feeling hot under the collar; her entire face was a _very_ bright red. Right then, it was perfectly clear to me that my latest Sekirei wasn't the most desensitized Sekirei when it came to blatant flirting. However, that didn't mean I didn't like it. I now knew how Toyotama felt when she had me in a similar position.

When she didn't respond after a few moments, I glanced down to Kuu and shrugged at the confused look on her face. Looking to Tsukiumi, I waved a hand in front of her face. As soon as I did that, she jumped and looked to me with a confused expression. "Are you okay?" I asked her softly, an amused smile on my face.

"I-I'm sorry, Takeshi. I couldn't help but remember what Toyotama told me while you were in the bath."

I arched an eyebrow, feeling slightly worried. "What did she tell you?"

"She asked me to not tell you. A girl has to have secrets after all." She smirked, looking triumphant.

I felt myself grin from ear to ear. "Oh, we're going to have a fun time together." Extending a hand to her, I said, "Shall we continue?"

* * *

><p>Approaching the dorm was a task in and of itself because people would continually intercept one of us. They would either ask us to join a club, inquire if we were going to a local party, or something that does with the local sports team. Occasionally, a rather persistent college guy would try and push his way towards Tsukiumi, but a few succinct words from her would push away any and all suitors. On the flipside, one of the girls would approach me and strike up a conversation. I'd take part perfectly willingly, but would always specify that I was already with someone at the moment.<p>

Unfortunately, I had unwittingly racked up a collection of phone numbers, which resulted in a continued glare from Tsukiumi. Approaching the door to her dorm, I opened the door and allowed my Sekirei inside first before walking inside myself. Pulling out my phone, I pulled up Yukari's number and called her. When she answered, I said, "I'm here, Yukari."

"Okay, I'll head down as soon as I can. Just go to the front desk and tell them why you're here."

"Gotcha. See you when you get here."

"Yep!"

She hung up and I did the same, sliding the phone into my pocket. As I approached the desk, the girl behind the desk spoke up. "Can I help you?"

I nodded, leaning against the desk. "Yeah, I'm here to see my imouto, Yukari Sahashi. She told me this was her dorm."

She eyed me lightly, as if trying to remember something. "Yukari-chan? I think she's said something about having a brother. It's Takeshi, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, that's me. How's she been? It's been a while I've seen her, so I figured I'd drop by. My imouto and I have always been close."

"She's been her normal self." I snorted, which caused her to smile lightly. "I guess you know what that means. Well, we can't really take her anywhere without her causing any incidents. Yukari-chan is a bit of a pervert."

"A bit?" I gave her a look.

She laughed lightly, covering her mouth. "I'm Misato by the way. Misato Hirakawa." Suddenly, she froze and clapped her hands together. "I remember now! I knew I was forgetting something. I need to read my friend's weekly stories." She began typing quickly, bringing up and closing various windows on her laptop.

"'Weekly stories'?"

Misato nodded quickly, "Yeah, one of my friends writes an online story and updates every week around today. She uses various people she's met and heard of to write a really good love story." She paused and laughed lightly, "Well, everyone in our dorm thinks so. Yukari-chan is a fan too; she even helps with character creation too."

I arched an eyebrow. "She writes something every week. Do you mind if I take a look?"

She hesitated, but nodded, "Um, sure, just let me get to the first chapter…" She moved the cursor over the screen and pulled a drop down menu and picked one of the options. After the page loaded, she turned the screen towards me and let me read.

My eyes slowly scanned the contents of the page, slowly widening. Over the course of the page, I had somehow stopped breathing. My face slowly turned red, from a combination of the contents and a lack of air.

Clearly worried, Kuu shook my hand and squeezed it. "Onii-chan, what's wrong?"

Tsukiumi was concerned as well. "Yes, Takeshi. What troubles you?"

I released a breath, trying to regain some semblance of sanity. The contents of the page were assaulting what little sanity I had remaining.

_It was so soft, the feel of his firm ass under hand. When the coarseness of my hand touched the smooth pink flesh, he cried out lightly. Looking over his shoulder, he met my eyes with his grey orbs. _

"_Be gentle…" Takeshi wh-_

I staggered away from the desk as if struck and covered my eyes. "Oh my GOD! Why in the world am I being represented in a _yaoi_ story on the frickin' internet?!" It took all of my self-control not substitute a curse or two in what I said. It was only the fact that Kuu was right next to me and I was in a public place.

Misato clapped her hands together, bowing her head lightly. "I'm sorry! I knew you'd act like that, but I couldn't just say no. Yukari-chan said she could use your likeness. I said that you probably wouldn't like it from what she's said about you, but she just said to forget about it."

"Takeshi!" Tsukiumi caught my attention. "What is 'yaoi' and why are you so angry about it?"

"Yeah, onii-chan, what is it?" Kuu parroted her.

She doesn't know? Neither of them know? Well, I believe it's time they learn a very, _very_ biased opinion about the root of all evil hidden within anime and manga…at least in my opinion. As I opened my mouth to explain the cliff notes version, a familiar voice cut me off.

"Onii-chan? Was the yelling I just heard from you?" Yukari walked into view. She looked questioningly to Misato, who was hiding behind her laptop. When she looked to me, she flinched, clearly recognizing my subtle anger. "O-onii-chan?"

I walked up to her and smiled kindly, pulling my imouto into a tight hug. As I held her, though, I whispered in her ear, "When we get to your dorm, you're going to explain to me your logic in putting my likeness in a yaoi story. As the freaking uke of all things!" Pulling away, I grinned and asked, "How've you been, Yukari?"

Yukari swallowed audibly and crossed her arms, "Well, long time no see onii-chan. I can see that you haven't changed much in the picking up girls department." She quite obviously looked over to Tsukiumi, but arched an eyebrow at Kuu. "Wow, I thought you were a bit overzealous when it came to little girls, but I never figured you'd-"

She suddenly shut her mouth when she noticed my glare. I could faintly feel a cold aura floating a little above my right shoulder. As I glared, everyone miraculously went silent and focused onto me. "Yukari…" She jerked into an upright stance, her arms straight at her sides, when I said her name. "I really don't think is the time for jokes…"

She nodded quickly, "Okay, okay! Let's hurry to my room. Shiina's worried that something will happen if I'm away for too long." Yukari whispered to me frantically.

I smiled and relaxed lightly, feeling the cold aura vanish. "Alright, now we're getting somewhere." As I watched my imouto walk past me to the front desk to sign me, I turned towards Kuu and Tsukiumi to see them gawking openly at me.

"Onii-chan just used Miya-onee-chan's mask…" Kuu hugged the older Sekirei's leg tightly.

Tsukiumi shivered lightly, hugging her arms tightly around her waist. "Truly, my husband is a force to be reckoned with; to have such ability at such a young age."

I narrowed my eyes, slightly confused, _I used the mask…?_

"C'mon, onii-chan, let's go." Yukari beckoned me to follow her.

"Alright. Let's go, Kuu, Tsukiumi." I extended a hand towards Kuu and let her grab onto it. Tsukiumi then fell into pace with me.

As we walked to her dorm, Yukari glanced over to me from the corner of her eye. "So, onii-chan, are you gonna tell me where you met those two and what happened to Yomi-chan, Toyotama-chan, Uzume-chan and Musubi-chan?" She paused and nodded frantically, "Oh, can you tell Matsu-chan that I still need to hold onto that…thing."

I smirked, "Don't you worry, if this goes the way I think it will, you'll know exactly why I'm with so many girls." Pausing, I felt my eyes widen. "What do you mean 'thing'? What the hell are you sharing with Matsu?"

"Nothing!" She said quickly.

I groaned loudly, shaking my head. "Whatever, just lead the way. If you must know, I met Kuu when I ran a rescue operation. You should've seen it, Yukari. I'm sure you would have laughed at the stupidity and unnecessary bravado I did then."

Remaining silent, she was clearly thinking about whether or not I was leading her into a trap. After reassuring herself that I wasn't, Yukari smiled and laughed a little. "Knowing you, I probably would have." It was then that her lecherous eyes went to Tsukiumi. "Now, how'd you meet this one?"

The target of her lechery swiftly stepped behind me, using my body to shield her from Yukari's gaze. "Well, she tried to kill me." I stated it like it was an everyday occurrence. Truthfully, it _could_ be, just in a different manner…

For a moment, it clearly didn't sink in for her. After a few moments however, Yukari flinched. "I'm sorry?" She crossed her arms, thinking. "Well, I've met every girlfriend you've ever had and I'm pretty sure none of them have tried to kill you." Giving me a look, she arched an eyebrow. "You didn't break any hearts, did you?"

I lifted my free hand, "I assure you, I've always tried to end things amicably." Placing a hand on my chin in thought, I thought slightly. "Although, one or two of them could have went crazy… I'm not entirely sure…"

Tsukiumi simply sniffed, turning her nose upwards. "It's understandable; after all, my Takeshi is a man among men."

I arched an eyebrow and looked over my shoulder at her. "'_You're_ Takeshi'? I don't think the others would like it if you said that around them." Although it isn't everyday that you have seven aliens sharing a single person as a significant other, so I think it's slightly understandable they'd all be a bit possessive. After all, I'm no different.

Kuu glared up to her sister Sekirei and fumed audibly.

Tsukiumi returned the glare with a silent challenge and a triumphant smirk.

Rolling my eyes at the two of them, I sent a sharp look down to Kuu and gently took Tsukiumi's arm to pull her to my side. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I leaned in and whispered. "Be good, okay? You're the older one between you and Kuu, so all I ask for is maturity." When she noticed how serious I was, Tsukiumi nodded; I felt her press her hand against my back. Smiling lightly, I couldn't myself as I lightly blew into her ear, eliciting a sudden shudder from my easily rattled Sekirei. "Just leave the childishness to Kuu and me, okay?"

Yukari cleared her throat, "I see you still like to tease your less experienced girlfriend, eh, onii-chan." She grinned at my antics, but shook her head.

I simply smirked, "I call this karma; she tried to kill me, so I tease her a bit. However, this is nothing compared to what Toyotama does to me."

Shaking her head, Yukari said, "Wow, onii-chan, I really didn't want to know that, but thanks for telling me." The four of us made our way up the stairs to the second floor, where her room was and when we stood in front of the door. I cleared my throat. "What is it, Takeshi?"

"I want to speak with him first, if that's alright."

Yukari groaned, clearly not wanting me to do so. "Come _on_, onii-chan. Is this really necessary?"

I gave her a pointed look, "I just want to talk with him. There's something I want to make sure of first." I held my hand out for her key.

Sticking out her bottom lip, Yukari glared at me, crossing her arms. After a few seconds, she removed the key from her pocket and placed it into my open hand.

"Thank you. I won't be long." Turning to Tsukiumi, I said, "I need to talk to the Sekirei in that room. I need you to watch these two for me."

She simply met eyes evenly. "I don't feel safe with you going in there alone. Let me go with you."

I shook my head, "I can't. I have to talk with him alone. It'll only be for a minute or two." I gently pulled my hand from Kuu's and grabbed one of Tsukiumi's. Holding it within my two, I lifted it to my mouth and pressed my lips on to her fingers. "Please…" It was the time I had actually, _actually_, pleaded with one of my Sekirei in a non-joking manner.

Tsukiumi blushed under the intensity of my gaze. Finally nodding her head, she said, "Fine, but if anything happens, I'll force my way in."

I smiled and shook my head, "Thank you, but don't. I don't think mom would like to know that one of my…" I looked around to see if there was anyone around. "…Sekirei busted down a door at my imouto's dorm while I was talking to her potential Sekirei." Slowly releasing her hand, I turned to Kuu and crouched to look her in the eye. "I might be going to talk to Shi-chan, what do you think?"

"Can I see him?" Kuu was literally hopping around in her sandals.

I smiled lightly, "If it's him, then of course. But I have to speak with a bit first. So, until I call the three of you in, I want you to stick by Tsu-chan for me. Okay?" When she nodded as she extended her hand to Tsukiumi, who promptly took a gentle hold. I stood and approached the door. Looking to Yukari, I pointed to the door. "I hoped you cleaned. There are things I don't want Kuu finding out about until she's old enough."

Yukari glared at me and crossed her arms.

I grinned and slid the key into the lock, turning it. Unlocking the door, I opened it and walked inside. However, as I did so, I heard a voice call out. "Yukari, is that you?"

Walking inside, I smirked, "Not quite." Stepping inside, I shut the door and leaned against, looking to the fellow occupant. "You're Shiina, right? Number 107?"

He was a slender young man with feminine features. His messy, silver hair fell around his head, the back falling to the nape of his neck. His grey eyes were noticeably sharp when he saw me, but realization slowly dawned in them when he looked back and forth between me and something else. He was dressed in khaki cargo shorts and a long sleeve, collared white shirt with black trim. The more I looked him, the more I realized how absolutely perfect he fit my imouto's idealized partner; well, from how I knew her.

"Who are you and how do you know my number?" He sounded uncertain, as if he couldn't remember something that rested on the tip of his tongue.

"Well, I think there's a pretty clear reason for that. You see, first off, my name is Takeshi Hitomi. Second, the person I'm going to assume you're reacting to is my imouto, Yukari." I paused, letting that sink in.

Shiina's eyes widened with recognition. "You're Yukari-san's onii-chan?" He relaxed lightly and sighed heavily; however, he paused, looking to me hesitantly. "If you know my number, then you must be an Ashikabi with a Sekirei that can hack into MBI's database…"

I released in a breath and lifted a hand to point to him. "You're right on both points, however, that's not how I know your number." I smiled lightly and said, "One of my Sekirei happens to be a very close friend of yours and she's quite worried about you."

Shiina froze; his eyes wide and locked into me. "You don't mean…?"

My smile grew into a grin, "Give me a moment." Getting off of the door, I turned and opened the door. "Come on, get in here." Extending a hand to Kuu, I said, "You first, Kuu."

Kuu grabbed my hand and raced into the room. Upon seeing Shiina, her hand fell from mine as she brought both under her chin and stared wide-eyed at Shiina. "Shi-chan?"

Shiina smiled widely, "Kuu!"

It was then that Kuu barreled forward and jumped into Shiina's arms, knocking the boy back onto his behind. Allowing Yukari and Tsukiumi inside, I shut the door and leaned against it, smiling lightly at the reunion. I wanted to interrogate Shiina, but Kuu was so excited about meeting him. I'm a pushover, I know.

Holding Kuu in a firm embrace, Shiina laughed lightly from his seat on the ground. "I missed you, Kuu! What happened to you?"

Kuu leaned away from him and began recounting her tale. "Kuu wanted to go outside and walk around, so Takami-onee-chan let Kuu go. She went with me and I was able to run around the flowers. It was so much _fun_!" Pausing, she lifted a hand to her mouth. "When we went to go back, a mean Ashikabi and a Sekirei really big blade attacked Takami-onee-chan and tried to wing Kuu." She lifted her hands and waved them to the sides, "Then Kuu turned the gardens into a _really_ big plant area."

I cut in, "Of course, after the idiot in charge of MBI decided to stage some game about finding and catching Kuu." I snorted, still feeling monumentally pissed that Minaka would do that to a child, Sekirei or not.

Kuu nodded vigorously, "Yeah, while Kuu was hiding in her tree, these real mean onee-chan's found Kuu and tried to take her away." Waving her hand in my direction, she continued, "Then my onii-chan flew from the bushes and saved Kuu!"

Shiina looked to me gratefully and said, "I-I can't thank you enough for helping Kuu."

I shook my head, "Don't thank me, I only did what I thought was right. Even if Kuu hadn't chosen me to be her Ashikabi, I still would've helped her." I looked over to Yukari and smirked lightly, "I've always had a big brother instinct way too big for me, anyway. You can ask Yukari about what I've done to people who have messed with her."

Yukari sighed heavily, "Oh, yeah, I have several stories about how you've butt into my business." I simply grinned, unrepentant. "Anyway, what are you planning on doing, onii-chan?"

"Alright then, let's get to business." I entwined my finger and cracked them. Sliding my hands into my pockets, I cleared my throat, "Shiina, are you reacting to my imouto?" I asked him without preamble, getting straight to the point.

Shiina nodded lightly, a little hesitant, and said, "Yes, I believe so."

I shook my head, "Not good enough. Are you reacting or not? This isn't a simple matter." I looked directly into Shiina's eyes, letting him see how serious I was.

Hesitating under my gaze, he nodded more assuredly. "I know I am."

Nodding, I looked over to Yukari, "Do you want to know what we're talking about?"

She looked at me as if I were growing a second head. "Well, yeah, you are talking about me, aren't you?"

I sighed; I closed my eyes and pushed a hand through my hair. "If I tell you, then there's no going back. If I tell you, then you'll be thrown into a deceptive game of dog-eat-dog." I paused, thinking for a moment. "Oh and there'll be more chances for me to act like a complete maniac."

Yukari looked me directly in the eye. Staring me straight in the eyes, she crossed her arms and narrowed her own. Finally, she released a breath. "Fine, what do you need to tell me?"

I nodded and turned towards Tsukiumi. "First, Yukari, I need to show you something. This is one facet of the Sekirei Plan." Lifting a hand, I placed it gently on Tsukiumi's cheek. Smirking at the flush on her cheeks, I said, "Shiina, can you cover Kuu's eyes for me? Thanks." Waiting a few seconds, I leaned in and gingerly pressed my lips onto Tsukiumi's, placing my other hand on the small of her back and pulling her against me.

"Really, onii-chan, you brought her here so you could ki-" She cut herself off when she clearly saw the burst of light erupt from Tsukiumi's Sekirei crest. After a few moments, I broke the chaste kiss and couldn't help but smile at the expression on Tsukiumi's face. "Uh, onii-chan, can you explain to me what just happened?"

Remaining silent for a second, I replied without breaking eye contact with my Sekirei. "What you just saw, Yukari, were the wings of an emerged Sekirei. They symbolize the pact between the Sekirei and her, or his, Ashikabi."

"Okay, then what's an 'Ashikabi'?" She asked me, sounding frustrated.

As I opened my mouth to speak, Shiina cut me off. "An Ashikabi is the Sekirei's partner, their master. They are everything the Sekirei can, will, ever want in a mate. When the pact is made, the Sekirei will do everything within his, or her, power to ensure the safety of their Ashikabi." I broke eye contact with Tsukiumi and arched an eyebrow at him. He shrugged sheepishly, "I figured I should be the one to tell her."

Shaking my head with a smile, I gestured to him with a finger. "I like this kid. I'll ask you one question, Shiina. If Yukari lets you become her Sekirei, then can I trust to protect her?" I paused, placing a hand on my chin. "On second thought, she's more than capable of protecting herself. Will you cover her back?"

Before he could say or do anything, Yukari cleared her throat. "Excuse, me, onii-chan, what makes you think you can just make my decisions for me? You're not that much older than me, plus I can take care of myself." She crossed her arms and glared directly at me.

I turned to face my imouto and met her eyes. "Yukari, I know you don't like it whenever I override you sometimes, and try to rein in my protective streak with you, but this is different. This Game is dangerous, _very_ dangerous. The Sekirei are dangerous; don't let the fact that they look human fool you, they're stronger, faster and equipped with powers that make the two of us as safe as an infant crawling next to the edge of a cliff. Not only is no one safe, but the so-called 'Game-Master' is a raging psychopath who gets off on putting innocent children up as a prize in a race against time. As much as I hate to admit it, a Sekirei has reacted to you, so you're involved. Even worse, he's being hunted by the Sekirei of an Ashikabi who loves to force the winging, just to inflate his ranks. So, I'm asking you to let me help you." I didn't let my eyes waver from hers to give her an idea about how serious I was.

In response, she merely pouted, "You don't have to be magnanimous about it. All you had to do was ask me first." Looking away from me, she lifted her chin.

I smiled and walked over to Yukari. "I'm sorry, Yukari. Your onii-chan worries just a bit much." I opened my arms to her lightly, smiling lightly. Yukari scoffed and walked over to me, allowing me to envelope her in a soft embrace. "Or would you rather have an onii-chan who doesn't worry about you?"

Yukari released a breath, "Of course not, onii-chan. I like that you worry, it's just that you go a bit far."

When we broke the hug, I took a slight step away from her. "That's what makes me so awesome, right?" I grinned as she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, whether or not you want to wing Shiina is your choice. Whatever you decide, I'll help out anyway I can."

Yukari simply looked at me; after a few moments of silence, she sighed, "I'll wing him." She whispered under her breath.

I couldn't but grin when I asked, "You'll do what?"

"I'll wing Shiina, okay?"

I exhaled lightly, "I don't want you to wing him to get me off your back. I want you to wing him only if you genuinely want to. A winging is a commitment, a relationship with someone who will give you their undying loyalty. I know you don't take many things seriously, but I'm begging you to take this seriously." I smiled lightly, "Alright?"

Yukari glared at me, clearly thinking heavily. "I hate it when you do that, Takeshi." It surprised me when she used my first name, but it let me know that she was actually taking me seriously. She rubbed her arm lightly, "I _do_ want to wing Shiina, it's just…embarrassing to talk about with you, is all."

I grinned and laughed lightly. Glancing over to Shiina and Kuu, who were both enraptured in my chat with Yukari, I winked towards Shiina. "Congrats, Shiina-san, I believe I've managed to get you an Ashikabi." Arching my eyebrow, I shrugged, "Although I'm sure she would've winged you regardless." Looking to Yukari, I smirked and leaned towards Shiina, whispering loud enough for everyone to hear me. "She's always had a thing for pretty boys."

"Onii-chan!" She whined lightly, her face alight with a small blush.

I lifted my hands in acquiescence. "Don't fault me for speaking the truth." I allowed myself to relax as I walked over to the window in her dorm. Pulling the curtain aside, I casually looked outside, taking in the scenery. "I'd hate to rush something like this, but if you're going wing him, then you should do it soon." Looking to the various rooftops, I tried to spot someone suspicious. Luckily, I managed to notice a pair of people watching the dorms. Strange thing is, I recognized the both of them. They were the very people who tried to capture Uzume a long while back. For a moment, I actually mistook the girl in the yellow and black leotard for the same Sekirei that tried to kill me and take Kuu, Mitsuki, but I remembered that she had a twin, Mitsuha, who I'm sure this person clearly was; her compatriot, the scantily clad, wide-open-kimono-chain-combination attention magnet Sekirei that never failed to catch my eye, though it was directed towards the Sekirei symbol on her forehead, rather than the obvious cleavage balcony, was next to her, crouched down and peering intently towards the window. Feeling uncontrollably snarky, I lifted a hand and waved lightly towards, garnering a surprised reaction from the Sekirei in the unitard. I couldn't help but snicker uncontrollably as I saw Mitsuha scowl and stomp her foot, growling towards. The kimono woman simply cocked her head to the side, clearly surprised that I was there. Maybe. I'm not sure. It's difficult to get anything from someone who doesn't emote much.

"Takeshi, what are you doing?" Tsukiumi inquired as she walked to my side to see what I was looking at. When she saw my targets, I noticed her stiffen.

"Don't you even think about going out there." I said without skipping a beat.

Tsukiumi gave me a shocked look. "Why not? Do you believe I am not strong enough to defeat the two of them?"

"That's not what I think at all. What I think is that if you fought them, it would draw undue attention. First of all, while the others are near, I don't know if the two of them have any back up laying in wait. Second of all, I'm not sure of the woman in the kimono. She seems different from her ally with the whips. Plus, I'm pretty sure she has ice powers, neutralizing your water powers." I paused, still looking out the window. "I'm also dangerously curious about why she has her crest on her forehead."

"Well, that's because she's a Scrapped Number." Tsukiumi said matter-of-factly.

"What?" The way she said that was enough to catch me completely off guard. Turning towards her, I looked questioningly towards her, narrowing my eyes. Shaking my head, I muttered, "There are too many questions that I need to have answered…" Turning towards Yukari and Shiina, I continued, "I hate to rush you, but the both of you are being watched right now. I'll gladly turn the other way, since I know how personal a winging is, but if you want me to step out, then I will."

Yukari paused, biting her lip lightly. Nodding her head, she beckoned for Shiina to walk over to her. "You don't have to leave, just face the other way."

I smiled and nodded lightly, "Okay." Looking to Kuu, I said, "Stand by me, Kuu. Shiina has to be with my imouto for a moment." Kuu broke away from Shiina and placed a fist over her mouth, looking between the two of us. It was adorable how torn she was between Shiina and me. I simply waited for her to make a choice.

Shiina placed a calming hand on her head and smiled, "It's alright, Kuu, go ahead."

Kuu looked up to him for a long moment before nodding her head lightly and rushed over to me, grabbing my hand tightly.

"C'mon, Kuu, let's give Yukari and Shiina some privacy." Turning her around, I pointed towards the building on the other side of the street. "We should wave 'hi' to the Sekirei across the street, Kuu. They're really sad that we didn't invite them over." I grinned as I watched Kuu wave exuberantly at the two Sekirei on the other building. Mitsuha glared at the two of us, pointing and mouthing angrily. Out the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light and noticed the distinct shape of wings. Smirking, I pointed over my shoulder and flexed my arm lightly, letting the two Sekirei know that Shiina was already winged and off the market.

"Well, you can turn around now." Yukari muttered lightly.

I did and saw that she had her arms crossed, blushing lightly. Shiina was standing next to her, the light from his wings slowly going out. Clearing my throat, I clapped my hands together and said, "Welcome to the Sekirei Plan, Yukari. You're probably going to get a call from a psychopath in the next few moments. I'll let you decide on how you want to deal with him."

Yukari nodded and went to her night stand, taking her cell from its charger. She looked at it for a moment before jumping as it went off in her hand. It flew from her hand and soared through the air before falling in front of me, which is when I threw my hand out and caught it. Holding it out to her, I smirked, "I'd answer because he won't give up until you do."

My imouto nodded and took her phone. Flipping it open, she pressed a button and answered the call. "Yes?"

A face appeared on the screen, which revealed to me that it was indeed Minaka who called. "Well, hello, Yukari Sahashi. It seems you have been chosen to take part in my Game. Of course, I'm not surprised that someone like you would be chosen."

I snorted, crossing my arms and waiting for the talk to end.

"Is that Hitomi-kun with you? May I speak with him for a moment?"

Yukari looked to me questioningly. When I released a breath and extended a hand, she placed the phone in my hand. Holding it so that the screen faced me, I gave him a blank stare and said, "Yes?"

"Have you put any thought into Kaede-chan's invitation?" He asked me with a wide, nonchalant smile.

I arched an eyebrow, giving him an unbelieving look. "Really? You're asking me this _after_ she pulled my damn arm out of socket and tried to attack me with her Sekirei?" Groaning, I shook my head and continued, "I already told her, _and_ you Minaka, I'm not joining."

Minaka simply laughed at that, taking it in stride. "It was all in jest, I assure, Hitomi-kun. You have nothing to worry about. I still look forward to your answer." Glancing to the outer edge of the screen, he took notice of something. "Ah, I see you have the Green Girl with you. Of all the people taking part in the plan, I figured it would be you to win that event. You're a wild card, which is one of the many reasons I'd like you on the Discipline Squad." Clearing his throat, he continued, "Could you hand the phone back to Sahashi-kun?"

I turned the screen away from me and held it out to my imouto, trying in vain to hold back my look of pure frustration. Yukari took my phone and gave me a strange look.

"Now, Sahashi-kun, as a participant in the Sekirei Plan, there are rules you need to follow. For one, you are to never reveal the Plan itself to someone not involved. If you, I will bring the full force of MBI's private army against you. Second, you are now stuck within the confines of the capital. You are not permitted to leave until the game itself is compl-"

As he said that, I reached forward and pushed the phone shut, cutting the CEO off. Releasing a tired breath, I massaged the bridge of my nose and said, "I'm sorry for that, Yukari, but the man's voice grates on my nerves."

"Truly, I wonder what goes through that man's mind." Tsukiumi said off-handedly.

"It's a bag of cats. A bag of stinky, stray, psychopathic alley cats." I lifted a hand and absently scratched the air, imitating a cat's clawing motion. "They scratch the inner edges of the bag in a specific rhythm in order to send orders to rest of the body…kinda like Morse code if you want to get technical."

Shiina let out a small laugh. Smiling lightly, he asked, "Are you sure we won't get in trouble for cutting the CEO off?"

I snorted and waved my hand lazily. "Please, the man may be crazy, but he wouldn't go out of his way to remove one of the biggest players in the Sekirei Plan." Shrugging, I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm not _the_ biggest player, but I'm at least in the top three. As far as I know, there are three big Ashikabi. Myself, Izumi Higa, and Hayato Mikogami. I don't know how many Sekirei either one of them have, but I have seven naturally winged Sekirei to my name. Plus, I've psychically connected with three of them. So, I could have, like, telepathy, or some crap like that." I wiggled my fingers lightly, for some odd reason I'd rather not come up with.

Yukari rolled her eyes, "You would say something like that." Looking at her phone, she waved it lightly, "He won't call back, will he?"

"Most likely. However, the best way to deal with an annoying person is to ignore them." I paused, pondering for a moment. "Or you could always beat the ever-loving crap out of them. That'll discourage anybody. Although, that is something only I would do."

My imouto sniffed lightly, laughing to herself. Sliding her phone into her pocket, she crossed her arms. "What do we do now?"

I crossed my arms as well, massaging my chin in thought. "Well, I came over to make sure you were safe, considering the Sekirei that are following you. Truthfully, I had no clue what to do after this was resolved, but I am considering having a little group training session for my girls and I. I need to get back into my regular routine and…" I reached back and placed a hand on Kuu's head. "I'm going to have to help Kuu learn how to use her power in melee. As much as I dislike it, something might happen."

Kuu looked up to me with wide eyes and asked, "Kuu is going to fight too?" She seemed to be a little apprehensive, but I could see a little eagerness in her eyes.

I shook my head, "Not if I can help it, but you need to be prepared. Onii-chan may be good, but there's always a chance he might miss something." Feeling a small smile coming in, I crouched and whispered in her ear, "Maybe you train with Shi-chan. Like old times."

Kuu gasped in delight and turned towards said Sekirei. "Really, Shi-chan?! Will you help when we train?"

Shiina turned to Yukari and gave her a questioning look. "Will it alright?"

Yukari paused, looking unsure.

"You guys don't need to answer right now. I know how it is when it comes to the first few days with your Sekirei. Take all the time you need." Standing up straight, I approached Shiina and extended a hand. "I may not know you, Shiina, but I've heard great things from Kuu. You're my imouto's Sekirei, so I'm sure you'll keep her safe. Just remember, I know the Sekirei Plan should be a battle to the last, but I'll make sure to not only keep Kuu and all my Sekirei safe, but you as well."

Shiina smiled at my words and hesitantly took my hand. "Thank you."

I shook my head, "It's no problem. It's what I do. I am the Ashikabi of Fate after all." I grinned and met his confused look with a laugh.

"Okay, Hitomi-"

"Nope." I cut him off. "You can't call me 'Hitomi'. You're my imouto's Sekirei; you kept an eye on Kuu before I could. By all rights, you have to call me by 'Takeshi' or something similar."

Yukari released a tired breath, "Onii-chan! Is this really necessary?"

Tsukiumi cleared her throat, "By all rights, Shiina's connection to you is the same as the connection Takeshi and I share. As he is my husband, you are my sister-in-law. Since the same means with you and Shiina, he is Takeshi's brother-in-law."

Yukari pouted at that, but I couldn't help but notice the leery look she was beginning to give the poor Sekirei who had caught her attention.

I cleared my throat, trying to bring attention back to me. After we had done our customary shake, I placed my hands on my sides and gently chewed my bottom lip. "Hmm, you could call me…nii-san? Aniki? Take-nii? Nii? I've heard them all, but a few would be awkward to hear from a guy."

Shiina chuckled at my antics. "Well, I don't mind calling you Aniki."

I lifted a hand and gave him a thumbs-up. "It's satisfactory. I give you two thumbs up." Smirking, I turned and reached to my sides, taking both Shiina and Yukari by their shoulders and pulling them towards me. Wrapping my arms around their shoulders, I said, "You know, I never thought I'd see the day when I feel I can trust one of Yukari's boyfriends." Leaning over to Shiina, I whispered, "You know, Yukari hasn't had many boyfriends over the years."

"Onii-chan!" Yukari actually blushed. The girl that could rival Matsu in shamelessness actually blushed at what I said.

I gave her an incredulous look. "Who are you and what did you with my imouto?" I grinned and walked away from the two of them. "Well, I believe it's time we go. Are the two of you going to be fine? How long can Shiina stay in your dorm until they won't let him stay anymore?"

Yukari simply crossed her arms. "It's fine. He's not actually…in the system…"

I blinked slowly, not really taking in what she said. "You…snuck him in here?" When she nodded, I palmed my face. "I've corrupted her. All the times I snuck girls in my room; all the times I glorified violence. I've corrupted my imouto and I'm in the process of corrupting Kuu." Giving Yukari a look from between my fingers, I sighed, "If you need anything, you know my number and my address, 'kay?"

Yukari giggled lightly, taking my crazed actions in stride. She nodded.

"Husband? Are you well?" Tsukiumi asked me, warily.

Looking towards her, I grinned evilly. Walking over to her, I grabbed her hand and twirled the two of us around. Dipping her lightly, I smirked and said, "I'm a little eccentric, but I'm always well."

Allowing her to stand on her own feet, I saw the flushed expression on her face.

Looking to Kuu, I held out my hand. "Is Shi-chan not coming with us?" She asked me pitifully.

Smiling sadly, I shook my head. "Not this time, Kuu. Shiina and Yukari need to be on their own for a little while." I glanced over to the two of them. "I hope nothing untoward happens."

Yukari arched an eyebrow at me, "Really, onii-chan, you're pulling that?"

I shrugged, "I'm a guy. It's different." Laughing to myself, I said, "Well, it was nice seeing you, Yukari. I can see you're doing well, so I'm going to get out of your hair." Smiling, I walked my Sekirei and I to the door.

"Don't be a stranger, onii-chan." She said to me.

"You too." I replied.

* * *

><p>The way back to Maison Izumo was uneventful, though I could feel the burning glare from one of the Sekirei that were tailing Yukari and Shiina. As we walked quickly, I felt a tug on my sleeve. "Onii-chan, when can I see Shi-chan again?"<p>

I smiled down to her, "Whenever Yukari and Shiina are ready. Okay?"

Kuu pouted furiously, "That meanie, Yukari-chan! Keeping Shi-chan for himself!"

I laughed and shook my head. Giving Tsukiumi a sidelong glance, I smiled and bumped into her lightly. When she looked to me questioningly, I lifted my arm and offered it to her. She smiled lightly, a light flush to her cheeks, and grabbed my arm.

Of course, right at that very moment, a very frustrated Sekirei landed on the ground a few feet in front of me.

Mitsuha glared angrily at me, her eyes alight with a fury that I doubt I could measure. However, she didn't say anything when she cut off our path. She simply paced back and forth, waving her arms angrily. Every so often, she would open her mouth and try to say something, but she would cut herself off by shaking her head and pacing again.

Deciding to end this painful stand-off, I cleared my throat and said, "Yo."

"Behind me, Takeshi." Tsukiumi took a step forward and in front of me. Although I understood why, I still felt a little affronted when it came to my masculine pride… It's a little irrational, considering my company, I know, but I can't help it.

Mitsuha finally stopped and screeched, "Why?! Why do you continually get in my way?! Mikogami-sama is angry with me because of you always getting in my way! I try to bring him a Sekirei; you walk right in and the Sekirei gets winged by someone else. I managed to find a Sekirei on my way back and I'm cut off by one of yours! My Ashikabi is angry with me and Akitsu and it's all…your…fault!"

I honestly didn't know what to say to that. I mean, sure, I was doing what I thought was right. I wanted to make sure as many Sekirei as possible found their destined Ashikabi, so it was obvious I would run into either Mikogami's or Higa's Sekirei. In the process of doing that, I figured that the Ashikabi of said Sekirei would become quite angry with them. Regardless of that, I had no clue on whether or not Mitsuha was a forced emergence of natural one, so I couldn't in good conscience challenge what she was doing.

Fuck my conscience, I'll challenge her anyway, then brood about it afterwards.

"Let me get this straight… you're _angry_ that I've stopped you from _forcing_ other Unwinged Sekirei to be winged by _your_ Ashikabi?" I rubbed my chin in thought, giving the Sekirei a contemplating look. "How does that make _me_ the bad guy?"

Mitsuha glared at me, wringing her hand with her whip. Chewing her lip, she let out another frustrated growl. "The specifics don't matter! What matters is that my Ashikabi is angry with me and it's all your fault! So I'm going to make you pay!"

Before anyone could anything else, Tsukiumi threw out a hand and a stream of water went rocketing towards Mitsuha. However, before it could reach her, it was frozen instantly and the remnants dropped to the ground. The second Sekirei, Akitsu, the Scrapped Number, landed directly next to her ally. Tsukiumi simply scoffed, "Get as many numbers as you please, but know this, threaten my Ashikabi a second time and there shall be hell to pay." Though I could only see a side of her face, I was able to literally feel the rage behind her glare.

Then, as if on cue, the two Sekirei standing before Tsukiumi, Kuu and I were suddenly surrounded by my own Sekirei. Opposite from one another to close off any simple escape were Uzume and Toyotama; they simply stood there, watching Mitsuha and Akitsu closely. Directly opposite from my group was Yomi, who stood relaxed with her scythe held slightly extended to the side, prepared to strike. At her side was Musubi, who simply covered Yomi's open side.

Clearing my throat, I spoke evenly. "I understand your sentiment; you don't want your Ashikabi to be angry with you. However, you have to know, I won't let you take anymore Unwinged Sekirei. If it gives you any comfort, you're free to blame me, to point it out to Mikogami that I'm the one preventing you from swelling your numbers. Personally, I don't care if you threaten me with violence, I can guarantee that I know more dangerous Sekirei, but my girls don't particularly care for it." Gently grabbing Tsukiumi by the shoulder, I pulled her gently to the side, giving both Akitsu and Mitsuha a clear view of me. "You're free to attack, but I won't, or rather I can't, promise that you'll walk away from the attempt." I all but vocally challenged the both of them.

Mitsuha looked to each of my Sekirei, clearly gauging their skills. She curled back her lip in a snarl when she saw Yomi, obviously remembering that it was her who terminated her sister. Finally, when her eyes dropped onto Kuu, I noticed that the smaller Sekirei was huddling against me leg, shaking in fear. I extended a hand and pushed her behind me.

Clicking her tongue in frustration, Mitsuha stomped her foot. "Fine! We'll leave, but I'll never forgive you!" Turning, she said, "Let's go, Akitsu." At that, she leapt away from all of us.

Her companion, Akitsu, paused and looked to me. I couldn't really tell what she was thinking, which drove me absolutely nuts. Managing to keep the frustrated expression off my face, I simply matched her impassioned expression and locked eyes. Several emotions traveled between the two of us in the span of the few seconds before she leapt away. The one that I felt was the most clear was sadness. Pure, unadulterated sadness.

When she leapt away, I found myself lost, unable to keep my eyes from following her leave. There was something…about that Sekirei that stirred something inside of me. She seemed so…lost. I wanted to help her; I wanted to see her smile; but, most of all, I wanted to help her find some more appropriate clothing.

"Takeshi-kun!"

Toyotama's voice managed to cut into my self-contemplations. Shaking my head, I focused on the present. Meeting her cold, green eyes and seeing concern, I released a breath and smiled, "Sorry about, I kinda zoned out."

She smiled slightly and shook her head, "Yeah you did. How'd it go with Yukari? Is everything fine?" Toyotama inquired me softly.

I nodded lightly, "Yeah, she's fine. Though she's in the Sekirei Plan." I shrugged and scratched the back of my head. "We have another ally, on the plus side. On the negative side, there's another chance of me going absolutely nuts if anything happens to her."

I felt a tug on my arm. Looking down to Kuu, I heard her say, "Shi-chan is really strong. He can protect Yukari-chan."

I smiled and ruffled her hair lightly, "Yeah, he can." Turning to face everyone else, I continued, "What do you say we head home?" There was a small growl sound that cut me off. Looking down to my stomach, I chuckled embarrassedly, "I'm a little hungry."

* * *

><p>I plopped down and sat behind Matsu, a little to the side so I could watch her shoulder. Kuu took her obligatory place on my lap and leaned forward lightly. It was around an hour after we had finished lunch when I had gotten a message from Akira. He'd run into a group of Sekirei trying to capture an Unwinged one. To the request of Yomi and pretty much everyone else, I had decided to stay at the inn and watch from above.<p>

Tapping my ear piece, I turned to Akira's channel. "How's the situation look?"

"Favorable." Was his succinct reply. He then continued after a paused. "Kagari is here now, helping Kaori and Noa."

"Okay, good. My girls should be there any second; they left the moment I got your message." I said while watching through Matsu's bird's eye view of the battleground. There were seven Sekirei trying to capture a single Sekirei. The other two major Ashikabi in the Plan had opted to send in larger groups to try and dissuade me or increase their chances. Luckily, thanks to the strategizing of Akira and me, along with Kagari's aid, we've been able to prevent more Sekirei from being forcibly winged.

"…You're not coming?"

I shook my head, but realized he wouldn't see that, so I spoke. "Yomi asked if would stay home and I did. Plus, since I have so many Sekirei, my presence may overtly cause the Sekirei to react." I tried not to sound too smug, but it was an obvious concern I had. If one were to have multiple Sekirei, then his or her presence may be a bit too powerful for an Unwinged Sekirei to be unaffected.

"Yeah, sure." He said with what I swear to be a smirk.

I sighed heavily, letting him know exactly how I felt about his comment. "How's everyone faring so far? I'm watching through the satellite, but I can't exactly get a read on each person specifically."

"It's essentially two on one. How do you think?" He spoke quickly.

I nodded absently. The Sekirei I was watching through the satellite looked to be a part of Mikogami's troupe. From what I've seen and learned about him, he doesn't go with the Plan's rules pertaining to combat unless he's personally there to watch. When it comes to hunting Sekirei, however, he just lets them run free and drag any unsuspecting targets back to their base: Hayato Mikogami's home in the south. Due to his presence there, he's known colloquially as the Ashikabi of the South. However, in spite of his various attempts to capture Sekirei, he isn't my biggest problem. Of all the Ashikabi I've run into, the one person who I've always had problems with was Izumi Higa. Strangely, he hasn't been acting up lately, which struck me as _very_ off.

"Matsu, can you inform Akira of the Sekirei that are attacking?"

"Of course, Take-tan." While she relayed the information to Akira, I chose to switch channels to check on my girls. "Uzume, how are things going on your end?"

"Good. Emi was able to get in contact with us and tell us the directions." She chuckled to herself. "You should've seen the shocked look on Tsukiumi's face when her voice suddenly appeared on our comms. Fortunately, we were able to convince her that even though she wasn't one of your Sekirei, Emi was still an ally." After a few moments of silence, with the sound of wind flying passed her, I heard her click her tongue. "We're close, I can see the fighting."

I cleared my throat, placing a hand on Kuu's head. "Okay, the Sekirei you're trying to protect is the one carrying the giant hammer." I paused, shaking my head. "I'll never understand why some of you decide it's necessary to use weapons that seem so cumbersome to use in combat."

I could hear the smile in her voice when Uzume replied. "Every Sekirei is different, Takeshi. There are 108 of us after all."

I grinned, "Yeah, and I have seven of you to cover my back." Covering Kuu's ears, I continued, "Go kick some ass."

Uzume laughed, "Will do, lover boy."

I snorted in laughter as Kuu pulled my hands off her ears, glaring up at me. I grinned at her, warranting a pout from the little Sekirei and she promptly looked forward defiantly, crossing her arms. Looking to the screen, I watched as my Sekirei stormed onto the scene and began providing back up to Akira's Sekirei.

Toyotama leapt in and quickly went to cover for Kaori, striking quickly and decisively.

Yomi pulled back her arm and slashed forward, unleashing a rather large air distortion towards Noa's opponent, pushing her back. Taking the reprieve in combat, Yomi rushed to Noa's side and readied herself for another round.

Tsukiumi released a long, narrow stream of water towards one of Mikogami's Sekirei, cutting her off from an attack on Kagari.

Musubi flew directly in front of one of the Sekirei and stopped her mid-lunge.

Uzume casually landed next to Kagari and patted him on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs up with a wink. Then she pulled the earpiece out of her ear and handed it to him.

Kagari simply looked bewildered as he looked at the ear piece, unsure of what to do. Shaking his head, he took the earpiece and put on his ear. "What took you?"

"Sorry. Girls wanted me to stay, so there had to be some quick deliberations. What's the Sekirei we're protecting?" Although I don't mind small talk, this was something we both thought was important. There was no time for jokes.

"I believe she's Number 84 Yashima. I managed to run interference when I noticed a large group of Sekirei, that isn't yours, jumping from rooftop to rooftop." Kagari said as I heard a large whoosh in the background. Upon looking at Matsu's screen, I saw that he was fighting the sixth Sekirei, looking as comfortable as if he were in a host club.

"Alright. How's she doing right now?"

"A little shaken. I told her to stay put while we fought off the others."

I nodded, "Next chance you get, give her the earpiece. I want to speak with her, make sure she's fine."

Matsu looked over her shoulder at me, a small smirk on her face. "Is that all?"

I covered the speaker and said, "Hey, I can't control when a Sekirei reacts to me. If it happens, it happens." I shook my head with a small smile as I rested my chin on Kuu's head.

It didn't take long after the arrival of my Sekirei for Mikogami's Sekirei to mount a full retreat. Now that I took a closer look at the group, I could see Mitsuha and Akitsu among the group. For a moment, I was thankful for the fact that it was Kagari who fought her, since she used ice. As I watched the enemy Sekirei retreat, I turned onto the group channel, curious to hear what everyone had to say.

"Coward! How dare you run away after being so arrogant as to challenge me?!"

For some reason, I wasn't surprised at all when I heard Tsukiumi's voice.

"Wow, Tsukiumi, you're so strong!"

Wow, I _wonder_ who that could be.

Rolling my eyes with a small smile, I switched to Kagari's channel and waited.

"Hitomi, I'm going to give Yashima the earpiece. Say whatever you feel you have say quickly, I want to get her to safety as soon as I can." I heard the rustling as he pulled the earpiece from his ear and walk over to the Sekirei. Looking through Matsu's birds-eye view, I watched him approach the Sekirei and hold out his hand. I heard him say something, but couldn't hear what he said specifically. She replied softly, but slowly reached forward and took the earpiece.

"H-hello?" She said with a shaky voice.

"Hey." I said with my most soothing voice. "How are you feeling right now? A little scared I bet."

"Y-yeah. A little, but since everyone else showed up, I'm feeling a bit better." Her voice was light and she sounded breathless. In a way, it felt like it was her natural tone of voice.

"That's good. Well, I can promise you that you won't be scared like that again. We'll find your Ashikabi and make sure you meet him. I'd tell you that in person, but the Sekirei who arrived last are sticklers for keeping me out of harms way." I smiled at the sideways smirk I got from Matsu.

She paused and I could see her shuffling her feet lightly. "I-I believe you… What's your name?" Yashima asked me, her voice lightly picking up.

"It's Takeshi Hitomi. Mind telling me yours?" Though I knew we had to hurry, I felt at ease talking her. Strange thing is, I wasn't unfamiliar with this feeling. I had felt it at least seven previous times.

…I can't be having another Sekirei react to me already… If that is the case, then this is just getting ridiculous. I'm going crazy as it is; one more Sekirei would be the death of me…

"My name is Yashima. My Number is 84…" She stopped herself and cleared her throat. "If you're not here, then how do you know what this place is?"

I cleared my throat nervously, "One of my Sekirei can hack into MBI's satellites."

She gasped, "Really? One of your Sekirei can do something like that…" I saw her look down to her side, where her positively massive hammer rested next to her feet. "All I can do is swing a hammer around…" Yashima paused and looked up to the sky. I focused on the screen and saw her grey eyes, slightly darker than my own. "If you don't mind my asking, then, how many Sekirei do you have, Takeshi-san?"

I nervously cleared my throat. "Well, you see, I have, uh, seven…" I muttered under my breath.

Yashima paused before answering, then her eyes widened. "You have seven? All of them reacted to you?"

"Of course." I replied quickly, dispelling all possible thoughts of me forcing a Sekirei. "If I were to wing a Sekirei then I always make sure to follow two rules: only if she's reacting to me and if she wants me to wing her. I won't force anyone into an emotionless union." After I said, I immediately wondered why I was telling her something so important so casually.

She isn't reacting to me, is she?

Before Yashima could say or do anything, Kagari approached her and said something. She hesitated and nodded lightly, "Well, it seems like I have to go. I hope we meet again, Takeshi-san, on better terms." She pulled the earpiece from her ear and handed it to the Sekirei Guardian.

Kagari took it and slid it into his ear. "Well, I hope you managed to say your piece. I have to get her to her Ashikabi."

"Okay, do you need any back up?"

He shook his head, "No I've got it from here."

I released a breath and shook my head. "Where exactly do you go to get the Sekirei to their Ashikabi?"

I could hear the smirk in his voice, though I could catch his voice crack. "I have my ways, Hitomi."

I chuckled, "Well, see you when you get back."

"Yeah, see you then…" I caught something in his voice, something akin to regret or frustration. Hearing him click his piece off, I watched as he beckoned Yashima follow and leapt to the east, according the onboard compass Matsu had on the screen.

Wait… East?

I narrowed my eyes and watched as Kagari leapt from building to building, leading Yashima in the direction of east. I don't know why, but my chest felt tight, my breath constricted. I've always seen Kagari head off whenever he takes the Sekirei off my hands, but this is the first time I've watched through the satellite with Matsu at the helm.

"Matsu, open up a map of the capital on another screen. This one." I pointed to the screen at my immediate left.

"Of course, Take-tan, but why?" She asked me as she did as I told.

I watched as the visual of the battlefield vanished, only have a map of the capital appear in its place. "I don't know, I just have a bad feeling. Now, zoom in on the eastern section as isolate it. Then have Sekirei/Ashikabi icons put in place." I watched as the screen closed in on the eastern end of the capital, then saw as several blue and red blips appeared on screen. There was a large collection of blues blips, easily outnumbering the reds by at least two to one. Narrowing my eyes, I focused on where large groups were condensed. "Now focus solely on the Sekirei and Ashikabi with known affiliations with Izumi Higa and Higa Pharmaceuticals." Matsu went to work immediately, her fingers flying across the keyboard. When the dots were narrowed down, I saw two large groups of blue and red dots. They were unevenly split, with the larger group centered around where the Higa Pharmaceutical building was located and a smaller group several blocks away. My eyes went across the screen and found a single blue dot heading towards the smaller group. "Matsu, who is this single dot, here?" I pointed towards the single dot.

"Um, that would be…" She typed quickly and brought up information. "Number 06 Homu-" She paused, her hands frozen above the keyboard, her eyes wide with shock. "Oh no, it can't be… He wouldn't actually…"

I felt a rumble deep within my chest as I felt myself growl lightly. "I don't want to believe it either, but we have to make sure." Turning to different channels, I found Toyotama's. "Can you lend your earpiece to Kaori? I need to ask her a favor."

Clearly catching my tone, I watched through Matsu's satellite feed as Toyotama soundlessly pulled her earpiece out and handed it to Kaori. Her fellow Sekirei looked at it for a moment, looked at her, shrugged and took it.

Putting it on her, I heard her say, "What?"

"I need you to follow Kagari for me. Don't be seen or heard. Can you do that for me?" I asked her urgently.

She snorted, "Can I do that for you? _Can_ I do that for you? What do you take me for?" I watched her turn and focus in the general direction that Kagari had gone.

Compared to other Sekirei, Kaori has enhanced senses. Meaning that her vision is sharper and she can see much farther than other Sekirei; her sense of smell is much stronger, she's capable to finding other Sekirei based on a specific scent; her hearing is also greater, making it damn near impossible to sneak up on her.

"Got him. Why do you need me to follow him?" She said as she began walking in Kagari's direction.

"Something's been eating at me since he left. I need to make sure of something before I make any definite decisions." Seeing Kaori's subtle nod of her head, I saw her crouch and rocket forward, leaping onto the next rooftop. "If there's that you need to tell the group, just switch to Akira's channel and let him know."

Switching channels to Akira, I said, "Tell everyone to stay put. There's something I need to do."

"Gotcha." Was his succinct response.

Switching to Uzume's channel, I said, "Uzume, I'm going off comms for a little while so I'm leaving you in charge. I want you to tell everyone to treat your words as mine for as long as I'm off communication."

Uzume nodded, but looked up to the satellite in the sky. "Sure, but what's going on at the inn?"

"There's something I need to make sure of." I spoke quickly and succinctly. Removing my earpiece, I said, "Matsu, can you bring up the Sekirei database and inform me of any wingings over the past month?"

Matsu was about to put her hands on the keyboard, when she looked over her shoulder to me. "If I go directly into the database, then I'll have to pull out of the satellite and the Sekirei/Ashikabi tracking system, otherwise they'll find me. What do you want to do, Take-tan?"

"Do it. I trust the others to make the appropriate choices."

Matsu hesitated, but nodded. Typing quickly, she shut down the two screens and brought up a third. Within a few moments, I saw the pictures of several Sekirei along with their stats appear on the screen. "I'm bringing up the latest wingings for the past month." Within a few seconds, I saw a few icons, no doubt representing the Ashikabi.

One icon clearly was me, it registered that I was on the immediate for recently winging Tsukiumi.

The second icon was another guy who was dressed in an all-white suit with no jacket and looked as though he was leaning against a wall. The name Izumi Higa was present under the icon.

Taking a cursory glance of all the icons, I saw that all the icons of the Ashikabi were a pose in one way or another. "Try and find who winged the Sekirei we rescued over the last month."

Matsu began typing quickly, looking back and forth between the screen directly in front of her and the screen that held the information. After a few moments, Matsu gasped almost inaudibly. "No-no-no-no… It can't be…"

"Matsu, what is it?" She shook her head quickly. I gently shifted Kuu onto my leg and scooted closer to Matsu. Leaning into her, I wrapped my arm around her waist. "It's fine, just tell me."

She held her hand above the keyboard and quickly pressed the 'Enter' button. Turning, she leaned into my side and said, "I don't want to see anymore, so please hurry, Take-tan."

"Okay." I looked to the screen and nearly choked. Closing my eyes, I tried not to lose myself at that moment. Over the course of the last month, my Sekirei and had helped save Unwinged Sekirei. Day after day and every other day; at least four days a week, Akira and I helped Kagari fight off Sekirei from both Mikogami _and _Higa, then left the Sekirei with Kagari in the hopes that he would find their Ashikabi. While he never said anything, I trusted he followed his word.

He followed his fucking word alright. He found them all an Ashikabi. To be more precise, he found them all the very _same_ Ashikabi.

I opened my eyes and took one last look at the computer screen.

"Onii-chan, what does it mean?" Kuu whispered, clearly not liking the tense atmosphere.

I didn't know what to say. I had no idea how to properly say this to my youngest Sekirei.

Izumi Higa is currently the Ashikabi of 20 Sekirei. His secretary, Kakizaki, is the Ashikabi of 2 Sekirei.

Every single Sekirei that we tried so hard to protect, to save, were all forced into Emergence. So many broken promises, so many wasted bonds, so many suffering Sekirei.

This could only mean one thing: Kagari had betrayed us, _all of us._

I wanted to lash out, to yell out in frustration, to hunt down that apathetic son of a bitch Higa, but I lost all motor control and was only to say a single thing.

"No…"


	16. The Resolution

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N****:** _Well, here's the next chapter. Once again, there isn't much I feel the need to say, but still want to put something like this at the beginning. One thing I do want to touch upon, though, is the perspective change. I know I did a shorter version in chapter 10, but with everything that's going occur later in the story, I think it's necessary for them to happen, for you guys to get the full story. This is actually first time I'm doing something like that, so feel free to critique me a bit harsher on those fronts, I need the pointers.  
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_In addition, I just want to say that it's pretty clear that Takeshi isn't normal, by any stretch of the word. How that is, though, I'll touch upon later; it won't be too long, considering this is the first chapter that shows the first, very unclear, message that he isn't normal.  
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_Another thing I want to touch upon are the fights that I mention through Homura. I don't show them because it wasn't really plausible for me to show them in story. As this is a story told primarily through the 1st person perspective of Takeshi, there's the risk that I miss things, so I'm sorry about skipping over them. However, don't worry, because the action will pick up a chapter or two later, where I won't skimp on the detail.  
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_Enough of my ramblings. Read/review/__enjoy. Also, I'll try to get the next chapter up earlier, around two weeks, tops.  
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**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Sixteen

The Resolution

I reached forward and pressed a single button, shutting the screen down. I had seen enough. Releasing a breath, I turned on my earpiece and turned to Uzume's channel. "Uzume, do you remember seeing Kaori head off on her own?"

"Yeah. What happened? Even Akira's a little confused and _that's_ saying something."

"I'll tell him what's going through my head. What I need you to do is grab Toyotama and follow after her subtly. When you catch up to her, do not be seen by anyone, understood?" I spoke briskly, trying to sound as urgent as possible while trying to remain calm.

There was a slight pause as I heard her deliberate. "Okay, we'll go, but we'd like to know what's going on."

I closed my eyes, trying not to give into my urge to snap impatiently. "When you catch up to her, ask Kaori what I asked her to do. Please, I can only trust the two of you to do this discreetly."

"Understood, Takeshi. We'll go."

"Thank you…" I whispered, just loud enough for her to hear, my desperation seeping into my words.

"We won't let you down." She assured me, before I switched channels to Kaori's.

"Just to forewarn, Uzume and Toyotama are heading up to rendezvous with you. If there's anything you need them to do anything specifically, then switch to Uzume's channel."

She snorted, "Alright, but since you're sending me back-up, is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"There's a chance you may run into a large group of Higa's Sekirei. I want to make sure you get out of there in one piece, since I'm the one sending you into the lion's den. Also, contact Akira if you need more back up."

"Gotcha~!" She whistled lightly, clearly looking forward to her next mission.

I turned off the earpiece and squeezed Matsu reassuringly. All we had to do now was wait.

I hate not having anything to do except wait.

And I hate waiting…

* * *

><p><strong>Homura<strong>

I leapt from building to building, leading Yashima to the very place I wanted to avoid. I never wanted to do this, to take the Sekirei that my friends had saved from the clutches of Mikogami or Higa's Sekirei, only to send them right back into Higa's hands. But I have. I've helped the very person that stands in complete opposition to everything I believe in, everything my housemates believe in.

I don't regret it, though. I may hate myself, but I will _never_ regret what I've done, because I've done it all for the sake of my Ashikabi. Everything I've done to help Higa was always to further Chiho's health, to make sure she could live comfortably the next day. When I approached him to help Chiho, he gave me a choice: to either terminate Sekirei or bring them to him. I decided to be his shepherd, the ferryman to his underworld. It was so easy to gain an Unwinged Sekirei's trust being who I am: the Sekirei Guardian. All I've done was for the sake of my Ashikabi.

But why? Why do I start to hate myself when I see that resolute look in Hitomi's eyes? As a Sekirei, I should only care about what my Ashikabi thinks, but, why do I continually hesitate? Dammit!?

"Homura-san!"

I came to a stop, turning to face Yashima when she called my name. "Oh, uh, yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

I paused, trying to be as succinct as possible. "I'm going to find your Ashikabi."

Yashima nodded her head. "You mean we're going to where Takeshi-san is?" She looked to me, her eyes full of hope.

I froze, giving her a surprised stare. This isn't supposed to happen. It's _not_ supposed to happen. Hitomi wasn't anywhere near the group, so how was he able to get a Sekirei to react to him from so far away? This can't be happening; Hitomi is _not_ normal in _any_ sense of the word. "What do you mean?"

A small flush came over her face. "Well, when he spoke to me, I felt my heart speed up. I felt so warm, so safe, when I heard his voice. I-I think he's my Ashikabi…" Yashima turned lightly away from me, a small smile on her face.

NO! Dammit! Why is this happening now?! I can't do this, not here, not now. I've seen how protective he is of his Sekirei. If he realizes what I've been doing; what I've done to a Sekirei that was reacting to him; then I don't want to know what he's going to do.

I shook my head, "What do you mean, he might be your Ashikabi?" I tried to diffuse the situation from what I feared.

"Well…he sounds so kind and he must be a really strong Ashikabi to cause so many powerful Sekirei to react to him." Yashima said quickly, with her voice nearly too soft for me to hear.

Trying to hold back a groan, I massaged my temples. "Some would say that he's _too_ nice…" I muttered, releasing a tired breath.

"I'm sorry?" Yashima caught my attention.

I waved her off with a hand. "It's nothing, just talking to myself." Chewing my lip under my mask, I tried to think of what I should do. Before, with the other Sekirei, I didn't know who their potential Ashikabi would be; that doesn't make it right, I know, so I'll bear that cross. However, this is different; I know who Yashima's Ashikabi could be, with only a small amount of doubt. That question is, though, what could I do to get my friend with the oversized hammer free from Higa's stooge, Kakizaki?

Turning, I beckoned her to follow, "Let's go. I'll get you to your Ashikabi."

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

Matsu brought up the bird's-eye view of the capitol moved the sights from space to space, trying to locate Kaori's group. "Found them, Take-tan. They are moving quickly, closing in on Higa's group."

I rumbled lightly deep in my chest, allowing my eyes to slide over to the group of at least eight Sekirei. They were scattered around several buildings, no doubt keeping watch while Kagari arrived with Yashima, Higa's next target. I then focused solely on the gentlemen in the general center of the group, a well-dressed man in glasses that stood in between a cloaked Sekirei and one I recognized as Ichiya, one of Higa's personal enforcers. She stood taller than most of the other Sekirei, with a more mature figure and close-cropped black hair.

"They'll need back up." Turning on my earpiece, I spoke to Kaori. "Is there anything of importance you feel you need to report?"

"Uh, yeah. I'd say being outnumbered eight to three is important. I think I'm all for you to call for back-up. Our position is a ways away from where the others are, so if they arrive quietly, then we should still be in a good position." Kaori informed me of her battle-plan, which seemed to be a good one in my eyes.

"That's sound, but I have one amendment to that. Do not strike until you see Homura arrive with Yashima. The moment they appear, I want you to surprise them." I paused, deliberating on whether or not I should continue. Sighing heavily, I steeled myself and said, "If at all possible, go after the Ashikabi, Kakizaki. If they want to play dirty, then I can too."

Kaori hummed lightly, "You're planning on taking out Toilet Paper?" I could swear I saw her shrug from my view. "I'm game; the guy seems like a prick anyway."

"Yeah, but only do it if you get you chance; focus on the Sekirei first and foremost." I paused, arching my eyebrow. "Did you just call him 'Toilet Paper'?"

"Of course. Akira calls Higa 'Asshole' and Kakizaki is his assistant. If you think about it, in a sick kid of way, his nickname fits him perfectly. After all, the guy does seem like the ass-kissing type." Kaori was awfully talkative at that moment.

I snorted in amusement. "That's pretty funny. I think I'm going to use that from now on. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on everything from above. If I notice anything odd, I'll let you know."

"Gotcha."

Watching through the monitor, I tried to think ahead. How could I work through this situation? How can I get Yashima away from Higa's Sekirei without getting any of my, or Akira's, girls hurt? What could I do to help them, short of actually going to Higa himself and personally throwing his arrogant ass out of an eighty story window? Dammit! Why do things have to take such a drastic turn so quickly?! I was just trying to do some good!

"Take-tan…" Matsu caught my attention. I looked over to her as she spoke my name. Her eyes were full concern and unease, reaching for some sort of solace.

"It'll be fine." I said without hesitation. "We've hit a rough road and we will get through this. I trust that they will be safe and get Yashima out of harms' way."

"Onii-chan?" Kuu looked up to me, both worried and confused. "Is everything okay?"

I smiled and ruffled her hair. "Everything is fine, Kuu. There's a small problem, but everyone is helping to fix it." I looked up to Matsu and said, "Call me if anything happens, I need to check out something." She nodded and turned back to her computers. I pulled off my earpiece and placed it next to Matsu. "C'mon, Kuu, let's downstairs and see how Asama-san is doing. What do you say?"

Kuu smiled and nodded happily. Getting up from my lap, she ran to the door and waited for me.

I stood up and hesitated slightly, feeling oddly weak. For a moment, my head felt extremely light, like I'd held my breath for an extremely long time and then took a very small breath. Placing a hand on my head, I took a deep breath and turned towards my smallest Sekirei. Placing a calming hand on Matsu's shoulder, I squeezed it reassuringly. "Remember, call me if anything happens." After she nodded, I left her room with Kuu in tow and headed downstairs.

When the two of us made it into the dining room, I saw that Miya was, hanging the futons out in the yard. Kuu ran from me and up to her. "Miya-onee-chan, can I help?"

Upon seeing her, Miya smiled lightly and said, "Of course, Kuu."

I walked up to the both of them, pushing a hand nervously through my hair. "Aw, c'mon, Asama-san. You could've told me you were doing the laundry. I would've helped." My voice cracked as I spoke, which I loathed to happen. I hated when my voice cracked; I hated it during puberty and I hated it even more now. It only happened now when I felt defeated or depressed. I hate being down or beaten.

Miya must've caught the sudden change in my mood because she arched an eyebrow. "I didn't want to interrupt what you were doing, Hitomi-kun. Although, I don't think it went well from the expression on your face."

The corner of my mouth curved up as I felt my shoulders droop. "You could say that…" Once again feeling light headed, I felt my legs shake and nearly give out from below me. I quickly grabbed the sliding door before I face-planted.

Miya was at my side almost instantly. "Hitomi-kun, what's wrong?" Her concerned voice broke through the haze that had settled upon my mind.

"I…don't know…" I placed a hand on my face and slowly slid down onto the ground, my vision wavering lightly.

I heard Kuu scamper across the grass, crying out, "Onii-chan?!"

"I-I'm fine, Kuu. Just a little light headed, is all." I tried to reassure the little Sekirei, but I sure as hell didn't feel fine.

Miya was simply examining me, her eyes slowly taking in my dazed form. After a few seconds, I felt her gingerly pull my hand from my face and place one of her own on my forehead. "You're not burning up… You ate, so you're not faint from hunger." I glanced over to her, my eyes scanning the look on her face. However, when our eyes met, I noticed realization dawn in the deep purple. She stood up straight, "Stay right here, I'll get Matsu. You need her."

I nodded dumbly, feeling Kuu's small hands grab onto mine. "Onii-chan…"

* * *

><p><strong>Homura<strong>

Yashima and I stopped on the last rooftop in the direction of our destination. Coming to a stop, I gave Yashima one last look before I began to pace back and forth. "Yashima…"

"Yes, Homura-san?"

"You know how I said I'd get you to your Ashikabi?"

She nodded; confusion evident in her expression.

Clenching my fist, I tried to face her, but couldn't. "I'm sorry…"

"For what…?" In that instant, the Sekirei I was leading Yashima towards suddenly dropped next to her. Three of them were instantly upon her, each taking a firm hold of her shoulders and taking her hammer. Three others cut off any potential escape routes. As they stood there, I couldn't help but feel their betrayed glances boring into me. "Homura-san?" Yashima looked around quickly, clearly trying to make sense of the situation.

"I'm sorry…" My voice cracked as I spoke, causing me to flinch at my own words.

"I have to thank you again, Number 06. Your continued patronage is what has made your Ashikabi's life a comfortable one." Kakizaki strode across the roof, flanked by Ichiya and the cloaked Sekirei, whom I knew was Oriha. As he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he inclined his head to me. "You have both his, and my, thanks for your continued support."

I turned away from him, unable to face any of the Sekirei on the rooftop. "Whatever…" The knuckle in my hand cracked as I clenched tighter. A part of me just wanted to walk up to him and cover him in flames. I hated him, but I hated Higa more, nearly as much as I felt for Minaka.

Kakizaki smiled, chuckling victoriously. "You've done your part. You have no need to fret over your Ashikabi. Higa-sama will continue paying for her treatment." Snapping his fingers, he continued, "Bring her. We need to take this one to her new master."

That was when they struck.

I heard the whistling sound before I saw anything else. Looking to the source of the sound, I saw a long red staff soaring through the air. It impacted the rooftop with a crack, embedding a few inches into the cement, a foot in front of Kakizaki's group. Immediately following it was Kaori, landing onto the staff and kicking off of it, shooting herself towards the Sekirei surrounding Yashima. Completely bypassing the two holding her in place, Kaori slammed into the one holding her hammer. The two of them went sprawling, but Kaori recovered almost instantly.

The Sekirei she tackled, who I remembered as Kaie, got up a few seconds after her opponent and narrowed her eyes angrily. She was dressed in a sleeveless, formfitting one piece and elongated gloves that reached to her upper arms. Kaie reached behind her back and pulled out two pairs of black whips, letting them hang to the sides.

Kaori grinned, crouching low. "Ooh, whips. Kinky, aren't we?"

As the two of them faced off, a second person intercepted the group was Uzume. She too landed on the staff and used it as a springboard to launch herself towards the Sekirei immediately behind me, while at the same time throwing out one of her cloths. The cloth struck one of the Sekirei holding Yashima and quickly wrapped around her. With a pull of her arm, she threw the Sekirei off of the roof before she could even cry out in surprise.

Sliding to a stop, Uzume faced off against a second Sekirei. This one was dressed in an outfit resembling a shrine maiden's uniform, but her sleeves hung down passed her hands, concealing the blades attached to her hands. Her hair was tied off in two tails that hung on the sides. Her name was Shi.

"Say, Kagari, you wouldn't mind explainin' what's goin' on right now, would you?" To say Uzume sounded suspicious would be an understatement.

The last Sekirei to appear was Toyotama. She landed expertly on the flat end of her staff, balancing effortlessly on one foot. Flipping backwards, she grabbed hold of the weapon and kicked it free of the rooftop, sending debris into the air. Twirling her staff, she struck a small piece of the roof that broke free and sent if flying behind her, striking the last Sekirei that held Yashima. The rock struck her square in the gut, pushing her back and freeing the Unwinged Sekirei from her captors. For now.

Spinning her staff in hand, Toyotama thrust it forward…only to be stopped by Ichiya catching it with the sole of her foot; the staff Sekirei smirked at her. "Well, and here I was hoping we'd reunite on better terms."

Ichiya snorted, "What can I say? I've always wondered which of us the better fighter was. You had to have been thinking the same thing."

Toyotama grinned in response. Digging her heels into the ground, she reached back with her free hand and slammed her palm against the back end of her staff, pushing it. The sudden force behind the staff made Ichiya stumbled backwards. Once again grabbing her staff with both hands, she spun the weapon around her body, then spun herself, building momentum for her strike.

When she finally went to strike, Toyotama's swing was nearly too fast to be seen, but the intervention of Oriha grabbing Kakizaki and pulling him out of harm's way saved him from being bludgeoned across the skull.

Her hood fell, revealing a head of short, black hair. Oriha glared at Toyotama. "You nearly killed him! That's against the rules!"

Toyotama smirked, her cold green eyes focused on Kakizaki. "By my Ashikabi's orders, you are to die." When his eyes widened in shock, she couldn't help but feel her smirk grow into a grin. "That's right; you've pushed my Takeshi-kun a little too far. He wants to send a message to your boss."

"Well, well, Toyotama. It seems you enjoy playing with your Ashikabi. I thought were we going to find him together." Ichiya walked forward, standing directly in front of the staff Sekirei.

Toyotama shrugged a single shoulder, holding her staff behind her. "I'm sorry to say that we couldn't stay together. It was selfish of me, but I never looked for you after I was winged. Since it was my request that we stay together, I'll shoulder the anger you hold towards me." Her eyes sharpened, the cold green becoming flinty. "However, I will never regret separating from you when 11 and 12 attacked us, because it was through that I met Takeshi." Turning to the side, I saw that tried to make her body as small a target as possible. Holding her staff in two hands, she pointed it towards the ground and continued. "My Ashikabi's wish is to help Unwinged Sekirei find their true partner and as his Sekirei, his _first_ Sekirei, I will destroy all who stand in his way." I couldn't but notice her eyes shooting towards me for a moment, then go back towards Ichiya. "Even you, old friend."

Ichiya took a few slow steps back, bending her knees. "That nuisance of an Ashikabi has really changed you, Toyotama. I still remember that we would sneer at our sisters when we heard them go on and on about 'love' and their 'destined partners'. The two of us always stood together; we made a pact." She smiled toothily. "Maybe if I hurt your boy toy a little, you'll see how pointless it is to be so devoted to a human."

The entire time I knew Toyotama, I came to know that she was an easygoing person. While I knew Hitomi was a pushover when it came to his girls, I could tell that whenever he tried to create a peaceful resolution amongst his flock his actions confused Toyotama. She hid it so well, even from her own Ashikabi. During her time at the inn, I witnessed her express quite a small list of emotions, if you could call them that: indifference, amusement, smugness, and well-hidden adoration for her Ashikabi. The one thing they all had in common was a single thing: subtlety. The emotion she currently bared lacked that trait. The grit of her teeth, the curl of her lips and the flame in her eyes were clear and open for all to see. It was clear at that moment that Ichiya had awoken the rage in her soft spoken sister.

As someone who was around to watch Toyotama train with Miya day in and day out for the past month, I actually felt pity for Ichiya.

After she threatened Toyotama's Ashikabi, that pity vanished.

"You're done talking." Toyotama snarled angrily, lunging forward.

Ichiya grinned and shot forward, gleefully accepting the challenge.

I turned and looked toward Uzume, who was practically dancing around her opponent. Of all Hitomi's girls, Uzume hasn't once trained with Miya. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it's because of Uzume's natural skill and her ability. She controlled cloth, basically the most unorthodox type of weapon in the game.

Shi would lunge in and slash with her claws, trying to tear into her opponent. Uzume would simply move the barest minimum, allowing Shi to flail at the air. This continued for a few moments until the cloth Sekirei decided to jump back and throw her weapon forth. The cloth cocooned her opponent and allowed Uzume to lift her into the air and slam her onto the ground. Removing the cloth from Shi, Uzume slowly took a few steps back, warily watching the fallen Sekirei. Though Shi wasn't terminated, Uzume chose to look towards me.

"Why, Homura?" Her voice was soft and curious, without any accusation.

"Why, what?"

"We trusted you, Homura. You're our friend. We helped you when you needed it most."

"I didn't ask for your help, Uzume. I never did."

She pursed her lips. "It's not my place to judge you. I know you. If you're doing this, then there must be a reason. However, that doesn't change the fact that you lead those Sekirei into a pointless union. You betrayed the trust that we had in you."

"You have no idea what I'm going through." I said, though my voice was hollow. I understood that what I did was wrong, but I didn't care. I was doing this for my Ashikabi, my Chiho.

Uzume smiled sadly, "Yeah, you're right. I don't, but you can give me an idea. Help me understand, then. We've been friends for years, Homura. You've helped me more times that I can count, whether it was saving me from Ashikabi like Higa or getting Miya off my back, so let me help you in return."

I looked away from her, unable to face Uzume. I hated to admit it, but she had a point. Uzume is my friend, more than anyone else at the inn, save for my Miya and Matsu. If there was ever a time I needed their help, it was now. Releasing a breath, I turned to face Uzume…only to see two Sekirei charge towards her open back. Shi had gotten back up and teamed up with the Sekirei that Uzume had removed from Yashima earlier. "Uzume, look out!"

Her eyes widened as she turned and saw her assailants…

Just as something invisible tore into the roof of the building, cutting off their pursuit. Looking up, we saw Yomi, Noa, Tsukiumi and Musubi making their way to the rooftop.

Yomi descended first, sliding across the flat surface. Spinning her scythe, she sent another of her distortions towards the two Sekirei who tried to attack Uzume. In response, the two of them leapt away.

Noa leapt in cut the two of them off, ensuring that they couldn't just flee.

Tsukiumi cried, "You dishonorable cowards! How dare you try and attack an opponent when her back is turned?!"

Musubi crashed onto the rooftop in front of Yashima. Turning lightly, she gave the shaken hammer-wielding Sekirei and thumbs-up, "Don't worry, we'll protect you."

In the midst of this bedlam, Uzume looked to me and whispered quickly, "Hurry, get Yashima out of here while he's distracted. We'll head out after everything's taken care of."

Coming to my senses, I nodded and rushed forward and gently took hold of Yashima's arm. "C'mon, let's go. I need to get you away from here." She looked to me, her eyes unbelieving. "We need to hurry. Grab your hammer and follow me out of here. I'll get you to your _true_ Ashikabi this time, I promise."

She nodded and we ran in the opposite direction, away from Kakizaki and the group. Yashima grabbed her hammer and we leapt away from the ensuing battles.

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

"So, can you please explain to me what just happened earlier? Why exactly was I laid out?" I still felt a little light-headed, but it passed.

Miya sat across from me on the table. "Well, I believe it was due to the excitement building up. After all, you do lead a rather active life, Hitomi-kun." I don't know how I could tell, but I was able to see that Miya wasn't exactly being truthful with me at the moment.

"Uh-huh…and you thought having Matsu kiss me would help how?"

While I was speaking with Miya, Matsu was at my right, looking at her tablet. It showed her the satellite feed that asked her to keep an eye. Kuu was on my right, holding onto my sleeve for dear life, clearly scared that I would fall out again.

"Call it woman's intuition." She smiled sweetly, trying to deflect the question.

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious as to why she was maneuvering around the issue. Releasing a breath, I leaned back and said, "I honestly don't know what happened. But what I do know is that I need to get back to training. I'd rather not get too out of shape."

Cocking her head to the side, Miya blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, get back to training? Haven't you been training for a while now?"

I shook my head. "No, that's only been a warm-up compared to what I'm used to. I'm talking about some intensive, no-holds-barred training; the type that Karasuba and Yume put me through. Besides, I need to help Kuu here learn how to use her power in combat." I smiled down to the little one at my side, placing a hand on her head.

"Well, I hope you don't hurt yourself. Or the others." I could tell that Miya didn't want me to, but she didn't say anything. I think it's because she knew I'd ask why, which is exactly what I would have done.

Honestly, I really don't know why I felt so weak earlier. After I looked on Matsu's monitors and saw the current number of Sekirei, I felt sick to my stomach. But it grew to be more than that. As I started walking around, I began to feel weak. It was a good thing I was able to hold on the door, because I just lost the strength in my legs. When Miya returned with Matsu, she simply instructed me to kiss her. Confused as to why she wanted me to do it, I still did it nonetheless. However, the strangest things happened afterwards: I felt my strength returning and Matsu's wings did not appear. More scared than anything about that development, I leaned in and kissed her again, feeling immediately relieved when her wings returned. Something is clearly off, whether it's with me or Matsu, I don't know.

Leaning against my side, Matsu continued to watch the tablet, intently keeping tabs on what was happening. However, while she did that, I could feel her leaning into me, as if making sure I was still there. I distinctly remembered her worried voice when she very nearly bowled over Miya when she saw me in my earlier condition.

"I've been working on my training for years, Asama-san. I can promise you that no one get hurt worse than an occasional scrape or two." I snorted lightly. "Although, I'll have to appoint one of them to be my supervisor; I tend to go a little overboard when it comes to that stuff."

Miya cocked her head to the side, "Oh, who do you think would be best for the job?"

I shrugged, "I honestly don't know. The person I choose has to know my limits exactly. I'm the type of fighter who's able to hide his wounds if it's possible. The only type of person who would suit me best as a supervisor would have to be someone who knows me extremely well, like my mother, sister, or Karasuba." Miya scowled dangerously when I said that last name. I flinched more when I saw her scowl than when the air around her began to darken. "Or someone who's really experienced with the styles I'm proficient in, namely my swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat."

Miya nodded lightly, "I see… Where do you plan to do this training?"

I sighed, "It would probably be at the abandoned lot that's pretty close to the inn." Shrugging lightly, I pursed my lips. "Technically, it's my personal outdoor gym. I found it a while back when I lived at my old place. I told my mother about it and she got me some help to bring some things down there; she also fenced the place off, so no one but me could get inside." Pausing, I rubbed my chin. "I remembered the place a little while ago because I'm going to need a lot of breathing room because I didn't want to anything remotely extreme near the inn. I'd prefer it if Maison Izumo remain undamaged."

Miya smirked, "Yes, I do as well."

Before either of us could continue, Matsu quickly shook me by my arm. "Take-tan! It's done. Uzume-tan and the others are coming back here."

Looking to Matsu, I both felt and saw the relief she was expressing, leaning gratefully into my side. When she placed her head on my shoulder, I asked, "I take it Kakizaki was returning empty-handed?" When she nodded, I felt the tension I didn't know I was holding in flowing out of my body. Closing my eyes, I let myself smile gratefully. "Is everyone alright?"

She nodded into my shoulder, not saying another word.

"If I may intrude, but what caused you to look so pale when you came down here?" Miya asked the two of us.

I met Miya's purple eyes with my grey ones, debating on whether this was the right time to tell her. Glancing down to see Kuu, I pursed my lips and turned back to my landlady. "I'll tell you later. It's not something I can freely discuss." Subtly gesturing to Kuu, I caught her understanding nod and relaxed in my seat.

"Hitomi-kun, would you like to take a short rest? I'll call you down when the others get back." Miya offered me, clearly catching my exhausted posture.

I pursed my lips and considered it. I really did; I felt drained, mentally and emotionally. Physically, though, I was feeling a little antsy. After a moment's thought, I shook my head. "No. I should've been with them, so I'll wait for them to get back."

Miya simply looked at me, her eyes swimming lightly. For a very slight moment, I took notice of a small blush that had begun to form on her cheeks. Placing a hand on her face, she continued to watch me, her eyes clearly searching mine. For some reason, I found it impossible to look away, as if Miya had entranced me in some way. It was after a few seconds passed that she nodded her head, "Hitomi-kun…"

"Yes, Asama-san?" My voice broke lightly, feeling as though she was going to test me in some way.

"You've stayed here for little over a month, correct?" I nodded. "In all of that time, I have gotten to know you as both a tenant and a person. You've been responsible, trustworthy and concise in all of your actions; you've also been the reason that living here has become quite enjoyable. In a way, you remind me of someone I once knew." She paused, continuing to study me.

"I…remind you of someone?" I asked her hesitantly, unsure of where this was ultimately going.

"Yes. He was quite the generous person, always helping those in need."

Allowing all of this to sink in, I tried to find the right words to say. "Oh…, well, I'm honored to remind you of someone like that, but may I ask who it is I remind you of?"

Miya paused, holding her hand in front of her mouth. "…My husband. Takehito Asama."

Matsu froze next to me, slowly turning to face the landlady. "Miya-tan…"

I blinked, trying to process this simple yet ever elusive piece of information. I had no idea who this man was, only that he used to work for MBI and was the adjuster for two of my Sekirei. The thing is, I have no idea who the man is. "Who was he?" I don't know why, but I felt a need to know more about the man.

"He was a man of science when I first met him." Miya began, but faltered. "More specifically, he was one of the top scientists who worked for MBI several years ago" She sounded as if she were looking back, reminiscing a better time. "I didn't think much of him at first, but there was a… charm about him. He never said much, just going on about his research. However, if there was something that caught his attention; something that sparked his curiosity, then there was nothing that could stop him." She closed her eyes, expelling a small breath. Opening them again, she simply looked down to her hands, now resting on her lap. "I'm sure that if he were still alive, he never would've allowed the Sekirei Plan to turn out the way it has…"

At that, everything went silent. Miya was simply sitting in her seat, a faraway smile on her face. Matsu was looking at her tablet, still resting her head on my shoulder; Kuu was at my opposite side, holding onto my hand tightly and looking back and forth from Miya and me. I, however, felt something beginning to take form inside of me. It was something that was shaken when I realized that Homura was throwing Unwinged Sekirei to the wolves.

"I won't pretend that I'd know what he wanted. However, I can say this: as an Ashikabi in this game, I will do everything in my power to stand against Minaka and his 'game'. Currently, I have the most naturally winged Sekirei composing my flock. I have the hacking-extraordinaire, Sekirei Number 02 Matsu a breath away from MBI's database and keeping an eye on everything from the sky. I have the Sekirei with boundless potential, Number 88, Musubi. I have a Sekirei with the power of an ocean at her fingertips, Number 09 Tsukiumi. I have the equivalent of Death's apprentice ay my beck and call, Number 43 Yomi. I have the flowing cloth with a razor's edge, Number 10 Uzume. I have the cold, dancing stave covering all faults while striking just as hard, Number 16 Toyotama." Smiling lightly, I pulled my hand from Kuu's grasp and placed it on her head. "Also, I can't forget the walking garden covering our backs, Number 108 Kusano."

Kuu smiled lovingly back up to me, showing her passionate approval.

I looked back to Miya, "I promise you, Asama-san. This will no longer be a Game, because it was never a Game. Anything that plays with the feelings of its participants is the farthest thing from a Game. I may have screwed up here and there, but no more. I will now do everything in my power to make sure that Minaka and his attack dogs can no longer maneuver things to their desire."

Miya simply watched me, her eyes simply widening a little with each word I said. When I finished, she mouthed something, though she covered her mouth partway through. The small blush on her face slowly began to grow as she watched me speak. After I finished, she smiled lightly, "'Miya-san'."

After I said something that could be seen as inspirational and moving, I went on say something that rested on the exact opposite of the spectrum. "Wha?"

"I believe you've earned the right to call me 'Miya-san', Hitomi-kun. Though, I didn't think it was necessary to be so formal for such an extended period of time." Miya laughed as I froze in surprise.

"Oh, okay…Miya-san." It sounded so strange, yet so…right. Releasing a slow breath, I said, "I'm so freaking exhausted." I let out a small laugh; feeling as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was on better terms with my landlady, my girls were safe, and the latest Unwinged Sekirei escaped from Higa.

"You could still take that rest I suggested. I'm sure the others would rather see you well-rested and healthy, than tired and pallor." Miya offered, once again trying to offer me helpful advice.

I shook my head, "No. I have to be up and let everyone know they did great. It's the least I can do. I wasn't there to help them physically, so I'm going to wait for them. It's what they would do for me, after all."

Miya shook her head, a small playing on her lips. "So stubborn. Takehito was the same way at times, though there was always a reason behind it."

I wasn't sure what to say that, only that I realized that my legs were beginning to fall asleep. As someone who's almost always moving, I find that sensation very annoying. "I need to stand. I can't wait anymore."

"Where are you going, Take-tan?" Matsu said as she leaned away from as I stood.

Still holding Kuu's hand, I spoke, "The others are coming back; I'm restless _and_ tired, coupled with the fact that I hate sitting around and waiting, so I'm going to meet them on their way here." Looking to Kuu, I went on to say. "Meet me at the front door, Kuu, you can come with me."

"Okay, onii-chan!" She raced away from me and towards the front door.

"Are you sure it's still okay for you to do that, Hitomi-kun? Aren't you a little tired right now?" My landlady sounded a little concerned.

I smirked easily. "This is nothing; if anything, I'm more aware when I'm tired. Plus, I could still easily defeat anyone stupid enough to try and hurt me." My smirk grew into a grin, "Besides, even if that person is lucky enough to get a good hit in, he or she will have to deal with seven pissed off Sekirei." Turning to Matsu, I asked, "From which direction are they arriving?"

Matsu examined her tablet and pointed to outside. "From the east."

I paused and smacked myself on the forehead. "Clearly. I must be tired if I let something like that slip by me." Lifting a hand, I said, "I'll be back in no time."

"Be safe!" Matsu called out to me.

When I made it to the door, I saw that Kuu was pacing back and forth, hands on her hips and waiting for me. "Are you ready to go?" She looked up to me and nodded with a smile. Sliding on a pair of my shoes, I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on. Looking down to Kuu, I smiled lightly. "Hey, Kuu, what would you say if I told I can help you be taller than me?"

Kuu gave me a wide-eyed stare. "Really? How?" Grinning, I crouched down and turned around so that her back was to me. Hooking my hands under her armpits, I hefted her up and placed her on my shoulders. "Hold on, okay?"

She giggled lightly, and cried out, "Okay!"

Grinning, I walked towards the door and opened it, making sure to duck down so that Kuu wouldn't hit her head. Shutting the door behind me, I began walking in the direction Matsu pointed me to. "Kuu, I need you to keep an eye on the rooftops, 'kay? Onii-chan is going to make sure we don't run into anything."

"Sure!"

At that, we took our trek further into the capitol. Walking relatively quickly, I tried to think of training practices to help with group cohesion and overall teamwork. Of all of them, Musubi and Tsukiumi are really into the game's rules, so I don't think they'd like teaming up against others. So I'd probably help them on how to better control their powers. Though I don't know how I can help Tsukiumi, I can help Musubi better understand how to fight an opponent by predicting their next move… That is if she's patient enough… Yeah, right…

As for Yomi, I'm not sure what I can do for her at the moment. I have no experience with scythe wielding, but I'm sure I can get the others to help with that. Toyotama and Uzume are pretty close as friends, plus I'm sure that if I ask them to, they'll work together and figure out a battle plan.

However, at the moment, my biggest plan will be to help Kuu learn how to use her powers in combat. She's still young, so it'll be a little difficult to get her to get into the right mindset without putting her off too much.

Speaking of Kuu, she patted me on the head to get my attention and pointed in the distance. "Onii-chan, there they are. I think they can see us."

I narrowed my eyes and managed to catch the welcome sight, and obvious sight of a bright red staff in the distance. "You're right, Kuu, good job." I lifted a hand and waved to catch her attention.

Toyotama came to a stop on a nearby rooftop and peered down to the two us, before lunging forward and landing on the ground in front of us. "What are the two of you doing out here? Weren't you supposed to wait for us at the inn?" She sounded genuinely curious, though I was curious as to why her mood seemed darker than what it normally is.

"We wanted to surprise you. Right, Kuu?" I smiled up to the girl on my shoulders.

"Yep!" She patted my head, clearly enjoying the fact that she could do to me what I do to her. "Oh, Tama-chan, I'm taller than you now." Kuu grinned widely, pointing towards her sister Sekirei.

Toyotama paused, looking as though she didn't know how to react. It was only after a few seconds, that she grinned her signature grin and walked towards me. "You better get used it, Shorty, because you'll have to get down sooner or later."

Kuu growled at Toyotama when she called her 'Shorty' and responded by crossing her arms and squeezing my shoulders with a bend of her legs. "Kuu's not going anywhere." She said stubbornly.

Toyotama laughed and approached me, placing hand on my arm. Examining me, she let her eyes travel over my body.

I sighed lightly, smirking at her. "Looking for something?"

"Making sure you're unharmed…" She muttered under her breath, too low for Kuu to hear. After a second or two of looking, Toyotama stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms tightly around me. Burying her head into my chest, she snuggled closer. "…I was…scared something would happen on our way back…" Those words struck me; I've never heard Toyotama say or do anything pertaining to her being afraid.

Placing a calming hand on her back, I leaned my head down and kissed her on the head. "I'm fine. You shouldn't have to worry. Actually, I was the one worrying about you."

I heard the pout in her voice when she replied. "Of everyone here, you should worry about yourself. I can take care of myself, you know that." It felt so…_unnatural_ to hear her voice quiver. Of all my Sekirei, I knew that the one person who was the most self-assured, the most nonchalant in her confidence was Toyotama. To hear the uncertainty in her voice made me want to do everything in my power to make sure that her knowing smirk returned to its proper place.

"You're the one making _me_ worry, you know that right?" It was then she looked up to me with those light green eyes I find myself adoring so much. Wide and tentative, she simply met my gaze with her own before turning from me and walking a few feet away. I heard her suck in a breath and slam the butt of her staff into the ground.

When she turned to face me, I couldn't help but grin when I noticed that her light green eyes had returned to their former icy gaze. "Like I said, you don't need to worry. I can take care of myself." When she spoke, I felt my heart quicken as her subtle confidence returned. Smirking, she looked to Kuu and pointed to the little one. "Speaking of worry, have you been taking care of our Takeshi-kun?"

Kuu spoke up, "Yep, onii-chan has been safe with Kuu." She paused, "Although…" Her voice quivered.

As if on cue, her eyes shot directly to me. "What did you do?"

I lifted my hands and glanced around her to see the others closing in. "Let's wait for the others to return. I'll explain when everyone's back at the inn."

Toyotama simply narrowed her eyes at me, crossing her arms.

The first person to arrive was Musubi, landing on the ground a few feet away from us. "Wow, Toyotama, you really moved fast! Even I had trouble keeping up." Seeing me, she rushed to my side and said, "Takeshi-san! Did you decide to meet us out here?"

I smiled and tried to nod my head without jostling Kuu. "Yeah, I was getting a little worried. I figured I could surprise all of you if I was able to meet you on the way." I gestured to the little one on my shoulders, "Plus, Kuu said she wouldn't mind being taller than everybody at least once."

Looking up to Kuu, Musubi pouted, "Ah, mou! Can I go next Takeshi-san?"

I felt my smile falter lightly, trying to imagine carrying Musubi on my shoulders. Though I wasn't exactly against the idea, it would cause more problems than it would solve. "I'm gonna have to give you a rain check on that, Musubi."

Soon after Musubi arrived, the others were arriving quickly. Uzume and Tsukiumi landed a few feet from me, with Yomi right behind them. As soon as she saw me, Tsukiumi inquired, "Takeshi, what gave you the idea to follow Homura?"

"Yeah, I mean, don't we always let him take the Unwinged Sekirei? So, why follow him now?" Yomi was right behind her fellow Sekirei, pretty much asking the million dollar question.

I scratched the top of my head awkwardly; though as I did so, Kuu went about helping me without letting me know. Letting out a small laugh, I good-naturedly pushed her hands away and poked her lightly in the side, eliciting a giggle. "I know everyone has questions, but they need to wait until we get back to the inn." Plus the fact that I feel as though I'm going to fall over from mental exhaustion and it's only a little after lunch time.

"I think Takeshi is right. We may have questions, but this really isn't the time or the place to answer them." Bless you, Uzume. You know that you're Ashikabi is absolutely exhausted before he ever tells you.

At that, we returned to the inn, though Toyotama's eyes never left me.

* * *

><p>After a few moments, we were all sitting around the kitchen table and Miya had just informed everyone what had happened to me while they were all gone. I had somehow, by some miracle, convinced Musubi and Kuu to go outside into the yard and play, under the presumption that I would be watching. I needed Kuu to be out of earshot because she wasn't old enough to fully understand what had happened with Homura and the Sekirei we left with him and Musubi…well, Musubi is Musubi.<p>

When I finished, Tsukiumi spoke, sounding a little uncertain. "Homura betrayed our trust… There has to be some reason for why he did so. I've known him since the beginning of the Plan and I never thought he would do something as cruel as leading Unwinged Sekirei towards Higa."

Yomi sighed, hugging her knees. "It makes me sick knowing that someone like Higa has forcefully winged so many Sekirei." She shook her head roughly, resting her head. "I don't understand how someone could do something so horrible."

"I don't know about Higa specifically, but I have a pretty clear idea why Homura is helping him." Uzume said in a small whisper. All of our eyes went to her. Smiling lightly, she shrugged, "It's pretty clear, isn't it? I mean, he's doing it for his Ashikabi."

That's when it hit me. How could I have been so dense, so stupid? Has my IQ fallen that much in such a short time? "That explains so much…"

Miya gave me a confused look. "What do you mean, Hitomi-kun?"

I leaned back onto my outstretched arms, "Homura's Ashikabi, Hidaka-san is hospitalized in Hiyama-kai Hospital. A hospital owned and run by what I'm guessing is Higa Pharmaceuticals." I looked to Matsu on my immediate left. "Am I right, Matsu?"

She gave me a quick look before going back to her tablet and sliding through various windows. Pressing a few times, she typed in a few words and escaped from a few windows, before finally reaching her destination. "Yes, it is. How'd you figure it out, Take-tan?"

I shrugged lightly, waving a hand in the air. "When Miya-san made me go out and collect some medical supplies, I ran into Homura there, which is when he introduced Toyotama and me to Hidaka-san. While we were there, I had to walk out, but I ended up running into Kakizaki. I didn't really get it then, but I do now. Higa is using Hidaka-san to manipulate Homura into bringing him Unwinged Sekirei."

There were a few moments of silence after I spoke. Then Toyotama cut into that silence. "Shouldn't we get her out, then?"

Matsu shook her head. "It's not possible at the moment. Higa has cut off online paths to facilitate a medical transport _and_ he has Sekirei guarding her."

I snorted, "More like keeping her prisoner."

"So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place then?" Toyotama shook her head in disgust.

"Yeah. Until we can figure out a way to get Hidaka-san into another hospital, then we'll have to deal with not being able to trust Homura with anymore Sekirei." I leaned the edge of one of the sliding doors and crossed my arms. All of us sat in silence as we no doubt tried to think of another way to get out of this sticky situation.

Of course, with my luck, my phone chose that time to go off. Getting to my feet, I said, "I need to get this." Heading outside, I checked the caller ID. "Yukari? Already?" Flipping the phone open, I answered the call. "Yeah?"

"Um, onii-chan, is there any room at the inn?" Yukari said without preamble.

I blinked in confusion, then peaked my head back inside. "It's a little of a tight squeeze, but I'm sure we could make more room. Why?"

"Well, you see…I kinda got in trouble with housing. You know, what with having hidden a boy in a girl's only dorm…" She sounded a little sheepish.

I groaned, rubbing my face lightly. "You should've told me you stayed in an all-girl's dorm before I left." Sucking a breath, I shook my head. It's really not my place to lecture. If I was in college at this point, I probably would've been the guy who snuck into the girls' dorm…if I wasn't an Ashikabi that is. "When does he need to leave?"

"Today."

I let out a small laugh. "Do I need to come get him or do you want to bring him?"

"I'll bring him by. I kinda want to stay the weekend too. My roommate is kinda angry too." She laughed nervously, no doubt scratching her head at the same time.

"I'm sure my landlady won't have a problem, but let me swing it by her first. When are you going to be down here?"

"If I leave now, then I can be down around six."

"Fine. Be safe. There is the Game going on right now."

She replied and hung up.

Pocketing my phone, I strode back into the dining to see that Musubi and Kuu had returned.

"My Hitomi-kun, don't look a little tired." Miya laughed lightly, clearly seeing my frustration.

"Yeah, dealing Yukari can do that to anyone. She's coming by later today, so I was going to ask if there's anyway we can make room for her and Shiina to stay the night?"

"Oh, I don't mind, I have enough ingredients for dinner. It's just that I'll leave the sleeping arrangements to you. I trust that you won't go overboard." Miya gave me a questioning look.

Kuu jumped up, "Shiina's coming over!"

I smiled and placed a hand on her head, "Yep, he is and he's staying the night." Meeting Kuu's beaming smile with my own, I looked to Miya. "Don't worry. I'll think of something that'll make everyone happy." I paused and turned slightly. "Oh and one more thing, two days from now, I'm going to do a group training session. I expect everyone to relax tomorrow and get ready."

"A group training session?" Uzume asked.

"What makes you think I need one, Takeshi?" Tsukiumi said haughtily.

I simply released a breath and shook my head. "No matter how good you are or think you are, there's always room to improve. Plus, this is also for group cohesion. I watched your fights and I felt a little disappointed. There was no teamwork, no collaboration. It was just a jumble of water, cloth, scythe slashes, staff pokes and punches."

Toyotama arched an eyebrow at me, a smile playing at her lips. "'Staff pokes'?"

I shrugged at her, unable to hide my own smile. "What? It's true."

Tsukiumi scoffed, "I truly see no need for working together. The rule for combat in the Plan is one on one. We give each other our name and number and fight until only stands."

I pursed my lips, "I see why you don't want to do this, Tsukiumi, but this is not only to help all of you get better with using your powers, but also to give me some peace of mind. Whether each of you are strong or not, I still worry for all of you when you head out to fight." I met Tsukiumi's blue eyes and spoke softly, "Above everything, would you please do this for me, if not anything else?"

After a moments pause, Tsukiumi blushed heavily and stammered out, "Y-yes, Takeshi…"

I smiled genuinely at that and said, "Thank you, Tsukiumi." Looking to each of my Sekirei in turn, I said, "Are all of you going to come with me?"

Yomi nodded, "Of course."

Toyotama shrugged a single shoulder, "Why not?"

Uzume smiled widely, "Wouldn't miss it."

Musubi punched the air, "I can train with Takeshi-san!"

Kuu watched me with wide eyes, "Are you gonna teach Kuu how to fight?"

I sucked in a breath, "Not fight like me or Musubi, but fight like Tsukiumi. I'm going to help you use your power to keep the bad guys away so you can wait for someone else to help you. Okay?"

Kuu nodded enthusiastically and clamped onto my leg.

When I got to Matsu, she pushed her glasses up. "I may not be able to fight using my body, but I can help strategize so I'm going to go with you and observe."

I arched an eyebrow at her, "Alright. Now that I have everyone's input, I can now do this without problem: I'm going to take a nap."

That managed to elicit a small laugh from Miya. Covering her mouth, she shook her head light. "You're too much, Hitomi-kun." Lifting her free hand, she beckoned Kuu to come towards her. "C'mon Kuu, your onii-chan is exhausted. He needs his rest." Reluctantly, Kuu peeled herself off of my leg and went towards Miya.

Walking around the table, I paused at the exit the hallway. "Oh, yeah, Toyotama?"

"What?" She looked up to me from her seat.

I grinned down to her, "Make sure your ready for tomorrow. I'm taking you out. It's your turn."

For a moment, she didn't respond, then slowly but surely, a wide grin spread across her lips. She stared up to me, her light green eyes promising things that shouldn't be said in the presence of others under the age of eighteen. "I'll be looking forward to it."

Leaving the dining room, I headed up the stairs, wondering what sort of hell I left brewing with my declaration to Toyotama.


	17. The Reprieve

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _I have to say, I feel like I'm on a roll. Chapter 18 was writing just seemed to flow out of me, much easier than what I expected. At the rate I'm going, I may get the next up chapter up in about two weeks; no promises though, classes are really starting to pick up, so my time may be held up._

_As for what you guys have said about my handling of the Homura situation, I can't help but agree with you guys. However, the situation isn't as you think. I've yet to have Takeshi meet Homura after discovering his actions. When that happens, and it will, I hope all of you will be satisfied. Since that part has been put up, I can now say that Homura will be in Uzume's place, from the original story. However, I'll be deviating away from the canon storyline after the escape; yep, I'm doing the escape. It'll play out similarly to the anime, but mostly it'll be changed due to Takeshi's Sekirei and his strategizing._

_Also, the…'citrus', as a reviewer put, at the end is only my second. I'm going to write one for all of Takeshi's adult Sekirei, so I'm trying to make them all different._

_Anyway, enough of my rambling, read/review/enjoy!_

-EDIT 9/6- Yep, decided to remove the lemon, just like in twelve. Experimented with it, didn't feel it, and removed it. Sorry for any disappointment.

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Seventeen

The Reprieve

Walking into my room, I shut the door and headed to my closet. Pulling out my futon, I was about to lie down and pass the hell out when I heard someone open my door, walk in and shut it. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Tsukiumi standing in front of the closed door. I noticed that her expression was one of confusion. "Can I help you, Tsukiumi?"

"Yes…" She paused, holding her thumb to her mouth. "You…said you were worried for me."

I cocked my head to the side. "Of course I am. You're fighting other Sekirei that have a chance to beat you." I lifted a hand to cut her off before she said anything. "I know you want to fight by the rules, but the Sekirei we're going against…their Ashikabi doesn't want to fight fair."

When I finished, Tsukiumi simply crossed her arms and looked me straight in the eye. "Regardless, Takeshi, worry not, for I will not lose. No amount of unfair combat will make me lose. I am the strongest Sekirei after all." Seeing me continue to look at her, she faltered lightly. A small flush came over her features as she spoke again, "I do enjoy your worry, though. When you worry, it makes the heart yearn."

I felt myself smiling lightly, continuing to watch my latest Sekirei. In the short, very short, time that we had known each other, I can honestly say that Tsukiumi has already cemented her place within my flock. Though I could easily do without the arguing, it showed me that, in a way, she cared for her newfound comrades. It showed me that she had found her niche in our everyday antics. (God bless Miya for her patience in that regard.) But above all else, I couldn't help but stand in wonder of the beautiful Sekirei in front of me. The subtle flush of her cheeks, the nervous bite on her thumb, the quivering of her eyes.

However, when her eyes shot to me, she crossed her arms and said, "What are you staring at?" She lashed out at me…well, I was staring.

I slowly walked towards her until I stood directly in front of her, forcing her to lift her chin in order to look me directly in the eye. "One of the most beautiful women I've ever known. Can't I admire my wife?" I smiled widely as I watched her face become a very bright red and her eyes widening to show the whites.

Sputtering, Tsukiumi looked away from me and side to side. "Of course you can…" She muttered, refusing to meet my gaze. "I just…I just…" My water Sekirei sounded as though she were at a loss for words.

Snaking my arm down her back, I placed my hand firmly on her waist and pulled her gently against me. Tsukiumi squawked in light surprise, but didn't make any move to break away. She looked up to me quickly, but just as quickly looked away from me in embarrassment. Smiling lightly, I leaned down and kissed her on the head. "I know you didn't want an Ashikabi before you met me, but I can promise you something."

"What is that, Takeshi?" She said under her breath, her hands resting against my chest.

"That I'll be the best damn Ashikabi you'll ever know." I couldn't help but smirk confidently when she met my eyes. Leaning my head down, I placed my forehead against hers; when she stiffened lightly at my action, I stopped and gave her a questioning look. Smiling reassuringly, I felt it as she relaxed against me. Closing my eyes, I held her against me. "Never forget this: I'm always worrying for you because I care for you. I know we've only been together for a short time, but you've already made a place for yourself in my heart, my flock." Lifting a hand, I placed a finger under her chin and gently pushed her head up to face me. She opened her deep blue eyes and met grey ones. Feeling the corner of my mouth twitch upwards, I leaned in and placed my lips against hers.

The kiss was short, but sweet, as we broke apart after a moment. Keeping a hand on her waist, I saw her take hold of my shirt and glare lightly at me. "You're my Ashikabi, my husband. I understand that you worry, but you shouldn't. As I said, I _am_ the strongest, after all." She released my shirt and crossed her arms haughtily.

I smiled lightly, releasing a small breath. "I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, huh?"

Tsukiumi eyed me lightly, before shaking her head lightly. "You are a stubborn man aren't you?"

My smile grew into a grin. "Give it a few days, you'll eventually see that there a few things I won't budge on; I'm actually quite the pushover, according to Miya-san, that is."

"Also…" Tsukiumi started speaking, before pausing. "What did you mean when you told Toyotama it was her 'turn'?"

I felt my grin shrink into a small smirk. "Well, it's her turn for a date."

That was cause for a pause. Tsukiumi's eyes simply narrowed as she looked to me. "So that's what it means… Why did you not choose me, your true wife, though?" She sounded a little testy.

I shrugged lightly, "I kinda promised Toyotama that she would be next. Besides, she has been waiting the longest."

"What do you plan to do on this date?"

Once again, I shrugged, "Like I did with Yomi, whatever Toyotama decides is what we do. All of you do everything I ask of you, so it's only right if I do something for each of you." Pausing, I rubbed my chin in thought. "If you want to go next, you'll have to work something out with the others. I can leave the decision to all of you, but if you leave it to me, then I may take a little longer. I try to be fair after all."

Tsukiumi turned and walked towards my door. "I see; then I'll make sure that I am the next one. After all, it is the true wife's duty to make her husband happy."

I let out a small laugh, "I'm looking forward to it then."

* * *

><p><strong>Mutsu<strong>

"I can't believe you lost another one! Why are the two of you so incompetent?" Mikogami angrily yelled at Akitsu and Mitsuha. Pacing back and forth, he was noticeably grinding his teeth in frustration.

I simply rubbed my face, releasing a tired breath. Ever since that other Ashikabi had taken a more active stance preventing Mikogami from taking Unwinged Sekirei, my young Ashikabi has been quite infuriated. Personally, I tried not to let Mikogami learn of my true feelings in this situation. I never really wanted to have Sekirei forcefully winged, but it's what he wanted to do, so as his Sekirei I've tried to help anyway I can.

I haven't seen the Ashikabi, but I've heard rumors that he's been personally trained by that monster Number 04. That in and of itself is one reason why I haven't let Mikogami go anywhere near him. Anyone crazy enough to even think of training under her, let alone going through with it, would either be obscenely psychotic or just plain moronic.

Or simply smart enough to know what to do in stressful situations. To almost flawlessly coordinate several Sekirei is a feat that shouldn't be ignored; not to mention the fact that he's apparently winged multiple Sekirei. This guy's not only clearly crazy, but also a strong Ashikabi.

Shaking my head, I tried to focus on the event unfolding before me. Mitsuha and Akitsu were standing in front of their pacing master, their heads downcast. The only people in the room at this moment were the four of us; I'd personally sent away the others so that Mikogami wouldn't project his anger onto them. I stayed just in case I needed to mediate, Mikogami may be my Ashikabi, but he's still only fifteen years old, not exactly the time of life where someone's mature enough to make levelheaded decisions.

Mikogami released a breath and came to a stop in front of his Sekirei. "Can either of you two please tell me _why_ you've failed so many times?"

Mitsuha lifted her head quickly, "It was that annoying Ashikabi from the North! He's always gotten in our way. First it was the cloth Sekirei, then the Green Girl and now he took the latest Sekirei! One of his Sekirei also terminated Mitsuki." She spoke frantically, emphasizing with various hand gestures. "Not only that, he's a smug bastard who hides behind his Sekirei." She finished, crossing her arms.

I tried my best to hide the groan that was threatening to make itself known. However, I was surprised when I heard a familiar, soft voice.

"He didn't hide." Akitsu said, still facing the ground. "The Ashikabi stepped out from behind his Sekirei and allowed us to see him completely." She paused, seemingly done, but she continued speaking. "I met his eyes before I left. I saw no fear, no hesitation. When…" She paused again. "When he glanced to the small Sekirei at his feet, he put himself in front of her."

That surprised me, it really did. In the time Akitsu has been here, she's never spoke much, only replying with one syllable answers. However, here she was speaking at length about an Ashikabi who was stupid enough to put himself in harms way to just prove a point.

The kid was either really ballsy or just really stupid…

Then again, this is the same kid who willingly trained with that monster, so I'm going to go with stupid…

"So you decided to just run away? Why didn't you attack when he put himself in range of your attacks?"

"He had six Sekirei with him, Mikogami-sama. If we had fought then he would've terminated us…" Mitsuha said softly.

"Useless!" Mikogami yelled angrily. "I hate useless toys! I told the two of you to bring me back more Sekirei for my collection, but the both of you proved to be incompetent! If you can't even do that, than maybe I should just abandon the both of you." He crossed his arms and faced away from them.

That set off alarms in my head. Standing, I approached my Ashikabi. "Mikogami, I think that's a bit much." I spared a glance towards Akitsu; he had blanked out her expression. Mitsuha paled and tried to speak, but threw her a look, letting her know I was going to calm him down.

"I don't Mutsu. I trusted Akitsu and Mitsuha to get me more Sekirei, but they betrayed my trust."

"But you just can't get rid of them."

Mikogami released a tired breath. "I guess you're right. I can't just get rid of Mitsuha…"

I felt myself relax, until I let his words sink in. "What are you saying?"

"Mitsuha is connected to me, so I can't just throw her out. Akitsu, on the other hand, isn't, so I can just throw her out whenever I want. She did fail me after all." Mikogami said flippantly.

I simply stared at him, dumbfounded at what he just said.

"You're…throwing me out, Master?" Akitsu said, her voice hollow.

"Yep. I don't want a broken toy anymore. Please leave, Akitsu. I'm no longer your Master." Mikogami said without any change in expression.

"Okay…" She turned and walked out of the room.

I continued to stare at my Ashikabi, trying to figure out exactly what just happened. Closing my eyes, I turned from Mikogami and walked over to the table at the side. Grabbing a small index card and a pen, I wrote a few things down and began to leave the room.

"Where are you going, Mutsu?" My Ashikabi inquired me.

"Making sure Akitsu has a proper place to sleep tonight." I strode out of the room and headed outside. Seeing Akitsu walking away, I called out to her. She turned and looked up to me, her eyes empty of all emotion. Holding out the card, I said, "This is an address of an inn that belongs to an old friend of mine. She'll give you a place to stay until I sort things out with Mikogami."

Akitsu nodded and took the card from me, "Thank you." She turned and began walking away, examining the card.

"Take care, Akitsu." I said, trying and failing to cheer up my emotionally lost sister Sekirei.

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

I walked back down the stairs, letting out a small yawn. Glancing down the hall, I saw that Matsu had just turned the corner.

"Ah, Take-tan. I was just coming up to get you. Your imouto arrived a little while ago."

"I know." I yawned again, ruffling my hair lightly. "I kinda heard Kuu's squeal of joy." I blinked slowly, trying to wake myself up completely. Even though I had only taken a short nap, I still felt inordinately drained. My body refused to move properly sometimes, as if grumbling at me to get my ass back to bed and stay there. Like I did countless times during my training, I completely ignored my body's protests and pushed onwards.

Unfortunately, Matsu noticed my sluggish movements and gave me a worried look before whispering to me. "Are you sure you shouldn't go back to bed?"

I shrugged a single shoulder. "I know I should, but I don't want the others to worry more than they have to; I said I'd be back down to see Yukari and have dinner." As if on cue, my stomach grumbled hungrily, demanding tribute in payment for what earlier. "As you can see, I'm in need of something to eat." Walking up to her, I offered her my arm. "If it'll give you peace of mind, you can let me lean on you for a bit. I'll try to be subtle about it, so make sure you're not too obvious. Okay?" I smiled at her.

Matsu pursed her lips in distaste, but nodded, placing her hand on my arm. The two of us walked around the corner and into dining room…right into Yukari harassing Yomi, who was trying to hide behind Toyotama.

I blinked once, then shook my head, a sigh escaping me.

"Yukari-chan, no! Please leave me alone!" She peered around Toyotama, who was simply shaking her head with a small smile, and managed to catch sight of me. She stumbled away from her makeshift shield and scampered towards me. "Save me, Takeshi-sama! Yukari-chan is being indecent!" Yomi slipped behind me, grasped onto the back of my shirt with her hands and peered frightfully over my shoulder.

"Oh, c'mon, Yomi-chan, it's all in good fun." Yukari slowly began to crawl her way towards me, or rather the person hiding behind me.

I lifted my hand and pitched the bridge of my nose. Releasing a tired breath, I said, "Yukari, please calm down and leave Yomi be."

My words fell on deaf ears as Yomi shook her head quickly, "No, I don't! I don't like it when you touch me _there_." She leaned forward and I felt her pull herself up so that her lips were pressed against my shoulder when she spoke again. "I only like it when Takeshi-sama touches me there…"

I felt my eyebrow twitch. "That's not really something you say at the dinner table…" I felt myself mutter through clenched teeth, my cheeks flushed lightly.

Yukari stopped and crossed her arms, "Now, now, Yomi-chan, don't tell me you don't like a little innocent skin ship between girls, do you?"

"Um, Yukari, I believe that's what Yomi-san has been saying this entire time." Shiina said loud enough for his Ashikabi to hear. He was currently having his ear chatted off by an excited Kuu, who was clearly glad to have her first onii-chan back with her.

I nodded in response to his words, "Yes, that's what I've been trying to say her entire life."

Still having not heard my words, Yukari looked up to me. "Onii-chan, are you okay? You look a little pale."

Uzume, who watched the entire interaction with restrained laughter, cocked her head to the side. "She's right, Takeshi. Are you still exhausted?"

I slowly took in a small breath. "I'm fine, just a little lethargic." Once again, my stomach rumbled like a monster concealed within a cave in protest of being deprived of its tribute. "And a little hungry…" I said with a small smile. Making a move towards the table, I felt Matsu and Yomi move with me. Matsu still helped me, but made sure to be inconspicuous; while Yomi continued to use me as a barrier to fend of Yukari.

Making my way around the table, I finally made it to my spot. On my right was Kuu, who demanded to sit by both me and Shiina at the same time. On my left was Uzume, who's turn was next to sit by my. Across from was Toyotama with Yomi and Tsukiumi flanking her on either side; Musubi sat next her water using sister. Matsu sat at the head of the table closest to me. Yukari had claimed the seat next to Shiina. The table had already been set, so everything was in place while we waited for Miya to join us. When she did, she took the end of the table across from Matsu.

After all of us said our thanks for the meal, I said, "Miya-san, you remember my imouto, Yukari?"

Miya looked to her side, where Yukari sat and nodded, "Why, yes I do. How have you been, Yukari-san?"

"I've been good, Asama-san. Classes have been going well, so I'm doing well." Yukari replied politely, clearly remembering the last time she inadvertently pissed off my unassuming landlady.

As the two of them spoke, I began eating. However, as I did so, I noticed that I felt abnormally hungry. With every bite I took, I felt like I wanted two more. Trying to contain myself and not just devour my dinner, it felt like my stomach had become a black hole and I was trying to fill it. Finished my rice, I held the bowl out to Miya. "Seconds please." Nodding, Miya took the bowl and filled it with more rice. Handing it back to me, I thanked her and began eating the rice. I finished it within moments. While I was eating it, though, Musubi and Toyotama had also asked for seconds. Extending my arm for more, I noticed that Yukari had done the same. Our eyes met as Miya took Yukari's bowl. She narrowed hers as I narrowed mine.

The challenge was made.

When my bowl was filled with my third helping of rice, my imouto and I locked eyes again and nodded. She tapped the back end of her chopstick on the table lightly. I responded with my own tap. We did this slowly in response to each other before or taps were in sync.

My Sekirei actually paused in their own meals to look at the two of us in confusion. Shiina looked between the two of us, an utterly perplexed look on his face. Poor kid, he had no idea what crazed family he had unwitting thrust himself into.

Then we counted down; three taps later, we both dug into our rice bowls at the exact same moment. There were no exaggerated movements; no rice flying everywhere, no mess to speak of, the both of us methodically devoured our rice in a controlled, sped up fashion, careful not to choke. We had done this multiple times at our grandmothers, when our mother wasn't around, and were currently tied.

We both finished our bowls at the exact same and both extended our hands towards Miya. My landlady simply arched an eyebrow at the two of us and sighed. Shaking her head, she looked to the both of us and said, "I don't know what the two of you are planning to do, but please don't eat all of the rice in the inn."

I sighed, feeling my shoulders drop. Miya killed our antics. Feeling a laugh rise from my belly, I leaned back and placed my bowl on the table. "Wow, Yukari, when was the last time we actually competed in who ate the most?"

Yukari smiled and chuckled a bit. "I'd say a good year and a half."

Rubbing my stomach, I grinned and leaned back. "I forgot why we stopped, but now I remember."

Yukari nodded and covered her mouth, a small burp breaking its way from her control. "Oh, excuse me." She blushed lightly. "I guess I'm full."

I scoffed, "Pitiful. Only two bowls of rice."

Yukari pouted at me, "Onii-chan…"

I grinned, "Joking."

Musubi looked between the two of us. "Takeshi-san, what're the two talking about?"

"A competition we used to have to see who could eat the most and the fastest. It was a stupid game, but we were young when we started it. Every so often, it just happens." I waved a hand lazily.

Musubi paused, placing a finger on her chin. "Could Musubi play with you, Takeshi-san?"

I paused, then shrugged, "You could Musubi, but you would beat me…every time. In case you haven't noticed, Sekirei have monstrous metabolisms."

Yukari grumbled, "It's not like they gain weight…"

I grinned, "That's another reason why we stopped. I still keep active because of my training so my metabolism is still the way it was. Yukari on the other hand isn't as active as I am." Before she could retort, we all heard a slow knock on the front door. Miya was about to get up, but cleared my throat. "You're still eating, Miya-san. I'm pretty much done. I'll get the door." Thanking her for the food, I got up from the table and went to the door.

Approaching the door, I slid it open and said, "Can I hel-" I instantly froze when I noticed the person on the other end of the door.

The scantily clad Sekirei in front of me simply stared at the ground, her eyes lost. Slowly, but surely, she recognized that I was standing there; nevertheless, it made no difference. Akitsu simply met eyes before slowly looking back down. "I'm…broken…"

"W-what?" The word caught in my throat, nearly frozen in shock. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Here I was, standing directly in front of Mikogami's Sekirei, someone whom I've been standing against this entire game. For a moment, I felt frightened; here I was: an easy target for a disgruntled Sekirei. However…that feeling changed when I saw the look in her eyes. If she looked lonely the first time, then now she looked like she was the last person left on the planet.

"Worthless… No one wants me…" She continued on, acting as though I wasn't standing right in front of me.

The next emotion that flowed into me overwhelmed the pity I felt for her. Akitsu didn't need pity and I'm sure she wouldn't want it; the emotion that nearly overwhelmed me was fury. "What?" My voice felt harsh and hot, tearing its way out in a subtle whisper.

Akitsu flinched at my tone, lifting her head to face me.

"What did you just say?"

Bowing her head, Akitsu answered dutifully. "I'm broken… My master threw me out because I failed him…" She paused and I noticed that her legs were shaking. Suddenly, her legs buckled beneath her. I quickly stepped forward and hooked my hand under her arm, keeping her up. "I'm worthless… I don't deserve happiness…"

"Look at me." I felt my lips and heard my voice, but I had no idea what I was doing. Akitsu paused again, slowly lifted her head to face, but flinched away from my gaze. "Look at me." I said again, getting her to do so. I held her eyes with an even look, but I fought to keep the storm brewing inside of me from overflowing. "Listen to what I have to say, and don't you dare forget. You are_ not_ worthless. Anyone who claims to know your worth is an arrogant jackass. _No one_ can tell you your worth; _you_ are the one who decides what you worth. I don't care what the person who put those ideas in your head thinks, you're _not_ worthless. You're a Sekirei just all the others; you're trying your hardest to find that one person. Regardless of what other jackasses say, you are _not_ broken, nor are you worthless." I locked eyes with her, maintaining our position. Akitsu simply stared with wide eyes.

Breaking eye contact, I released a breath, trying calm down. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" When she nodded slowly, I felt my lips curve lightly into a small smile. "Can you stand now?"

Akitsu nodded and I slowly pulled my hand from her, though she quickly caught it. The sudden action surprised me so much that I nearly yelped in surprised, but I managed to keep quiet. I looked from our entwined hands to her face and saw that she was examining me closely. "Will…will you…" She spoke quietly, slowly.

"What?" I asked her. "What is it?"

When she opened her mouth to speak, we heard a new voice cut in. "Takeshi-sama, what's taking so long? Who's at the do-" Yomi stepped into the hallway and froze when she saw Akitsu standing in front of me. Her eyes instantly went to our entwined hands and I noticed her eyebrows furrow in indignation. "What are you doing to my Takeshi-sama!?" She lunged forward and threw her hand out to grasp her resting scythe, which was lying next to Toyotama's staff across from the front door.

"Yomi, stop!" I cried out as she swung the scythe in an enclosed space rather well, aiming to eviscerate the kimono-clad Sekirei. Spinning, I pulled my hand free and quickly wrapped my hand around the shaft of the scythe, stopping its path cold. Using my foot, I carefully shot it forward and knocked Yomi's feet out from under her, causing her to fall forward; then I used my second hand to catch her by her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't hit the ground. Pulling the scythe out from her hand, I allowed her to regain her balance and took a step back, making sure to keep hold of her scythe.

Yomi looked at me with shock. "Takeshi-sama, why did you stop me?" Though I could easily see the question 'how' in her expression.

I shook my head and said, "Akitsu is here for a reason and it has nothing to do with that brat in the South. I can assure you that she's not here to hurt me."

I noticed Akitsu jerk her head to me in surprise as I defended her from my overzealous Sekirei.

"How do you know that?" Yomi asked me, still sitting on the ground.

"I'm still unhurt, aren't I?" I said with a small smirk.

Then several other voices cut into the conversation. "What is going on out there?" Then, everyone seemed to poke their heads out.

Toyotama looked to each of us, but when her eyes landed on Akitsu, they widened and she lunged forward and grabbed her staff.

Uzume also noticed Akitsu and stepped into the hall, already calling up her cloth.

Tsukiumi and quickly lifted her hand, causing several strands of water to began forming.

Seeing all of this, I sucked in a breath and cried out, "Everyone stop now!" That gave pause to all, including Yukari, Shiina, Musubi and Kuu. Feeling a cold aura settle upon my shoulders, I released a slow breath and said, "Have all of you forgotten already? Violence is _not_ permitted in Maison Izumo."

Everyone froze and blanched.

Toyotama's eyes widened and she dropped her staff, allowing it clatter onto the ground. Her mouth was set in a grim line as fear settled on her face.

Yomi began to quiver in fear as she was unable to look away from me.

Uzume's eyes darted from Miya to me as she stood stock still in the hallway, her cloth weapons dropping lifelessly to the ground.

Tsukiumi's hand fell to the side as she stared wide-eyed towards me.

Musubi was holding onto the edge of the sliding door, her knuckles white but not crushing the wooden door.

Kuu and Yukari were hiding behind a stunned Shiina.

Matsu yelped and dived back into the dining room, in an attempt to escape.

Miya just watched me, her purple eyes widening in something resembling wistfulness and recognition. She lifted a hand to her mouth and covered it.

After maintaining my glare for a few moments, I closed my eyes and relaxed, feeling drained once again. Shaking my head, I turned and face Akitsu. "I'm sorry for the interruption. What were you going to say?"

Akitsu simply watched me intensely, her eyes seemingly tracing my face. "You…defended me…"

I shrugged, "Why wouldn't I? You're not an enemy anymore."

Akitsu closed her eyes and opened them again, once again scrutinizing me with her silent intensity. Slowly approaching me, she reached down and took my hand. "What I wanted to ask you before was… Will you be my master?"

I simply met her eyes. There was that intensity, that longing for companionship, which shook me to the core every time I saw it. Akitsu wanted someone she could stand by, to love. After being thrown out, she happened to come by here and saw me. I already have seven Sekirei. A normal man would be satisfied with only one, but I have seven. Would an eighth be too much? A normal man would say 'yes'.

Closing my eyes, I released a breath, "No, I won't be your master…"

Akitsu flinched, as if struck. Bowing her head, she said, "I…I see…"

But I'm not a normal man. "But I'll be your Ashikabi." Lifting her head quickly, Akitsu gave me a confused look. Placing Yomi's scythe against the wall, I scratched the back of my head. "I don't like this 'master' business. Sekirei aren't people someone should boss around and command, they're people just trying to find love. That's what an Ashikabi is for, to give Sekirei the love they deserve. I refuse to be anyone's master, but I'll be your Ashikabi… If you'll have me."

Akitsu continued to study me, her brown eyes searching my grey ones. Looking downwards, she took a step towards me and released my hand. Grabbing a hold of my shirt, I watched as she rested her head on my chest. "Thank you…" I heard the release of breath as she continued to lean against me.

Placing a hand on her back, I said, "You're welcome."

* * *

><p>Moments later, we were all back around the table, with Akitsu not leaving my side. That kinda irked Kuu, considering our past with Mikogami, and that's perfectly understandable, but made it perfectly clear that she's with us now and that's not going to change. I released a tired breath, feeling my shoulders slump in exhaustion, and looked over my shoulder. "Have you eaten yet today?"<p>

Akitsu looked to me in silence for a moment before shaking her head.

Feeling a sigh escape from me, I pushed myself to my feet and said, "Take my place, then." Turning to Miya, I asked, "Is there anymore for Akitsu, Miya-san?"

Miya lifted a hand to her mouth, "Well, I didn't know that we were going to have company, let alone a new tenant…" She gave me a look, then continued, "Though I'm sure I could put a few things together for her." She got to her feet.

"I'll help." Miya looked to me for a few moments in pause before nodding and heading towards to the kitchen, me following her. When we reached the room, Miya pointed me to refrigerator as she went to the closed pot on the stove. I walked towards the sink to wash and dry my hands before diving into the fridge, pulling out the wrapped plate. Within a few moments, the two of us had prepared a dish for Akitsu with the extras that were left over from Miya's cooking.

"Really, Hitomi-kun, you took in another Sekirei? When will you be truly satisfied?" Miya said with a light laugh.

I shrugged a single shoulder. "I honestly don't know. I just want to help in the end, you know. There are so many things wrong in this world, so many people who use their power for the wrong reasons. At first, I wanted to get stronger so I could protect my mom and imouto, but I realized that they wouldn't need me. Then I tried to help others, but all that did was put me in more fights." I lightly rubbed my face, trying to remain alert. "Before the Sekirei Plan, I didn't really have a clear path in life. All I did was train and train, without any idea of what I was going to do. But… when I met Toyotama and Yomi, I think that's when I remembered what an old friend told me." I looked to Miya and smiled lightly, "I remembered Yume telling me about the 'little birds' all those years ago and that I was meant to be their 'shepherd'. To this day, I still don't understand why she said that about, but even though she's gone, I never want to let her down."

Miya simply watched me, her eyes unreadable and enigmatic. She slowly lifted the hand she held in front of her face and moved it towards me. Hesitantly, she placed it over mine. "You're a special individual, Hitomi-kun. When you trust someone, you give your trust completely, without reservation. When someone reaches out to you for help, you give your all in making sure they're satisfied. When you see your goal, you charge headlong towards, breaking down all obstacles in your way. In an ideal world, you would be the person that others would look up to." Miya paused, her hand squeezing mine tightly. "Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world we live in; people take advantage of trust and twist it; people manipulate and scheme; there are casualties when you charge recklessly. It's a cold thing to say, but true altruism is a very scarce commodity these days. However, that does not mean you should change, Takeshi Hitomi." I widened my eyes in shock, locking eyes with my landlady; her purple eyes swam with emotion. "Do not change who you are; continue to trust wholehearted in your Sekirei and friends; continue to help those you feel you should; continue to head towards your goals. Always be the kindhearted young man that I know you are at your core. If there is anyone in this wretched Game that can change the Fate of all the 'little birds', I believe whole-heartedly that it is you." All while she said that, I couldn't help but notice my landlady getting closer and closer to me, physically. When she finished, our faces were scant inches apart, her hot breath searing my lips and cheek. The two of us simply stood there, completely frozen.

After a moment, I saw realization flash through Miya's eyes and she quickly pulled her hand off of mine and turned from me. Straightening up, she looked to me over her shoulder, a small blush on her cheeks present for all to see. "I…"

"You want me to wash the dishes, don't you?"

The question surprised not only Miya, but me as well. The words simply flew from my mouth, completely out of my control.

Miya froze at the question, then cracked a smile. Slowly starting to laugh, she covered her mouth with her hand. Within the bouts of her well-controlled laughter, she managed to say, "I must thank you, Hitomi-kun. You know what to say at the right moments."

I smiled lightly, "It's a talent. Some would say a curse, though."

Miya smiled warmly and said, "I'd say so…" She paused, sucked in a breath and said, "Well, I don't mind if you do. I happen to feel a little tired. If you would excuse me…" She walked out of the kitchen, the door shutting behind her.

When she left, I allowed myself to lock up. _What the hell just happened?!_ I squeezed the edge of the counter as I gulped lightly. _Do I have feelings for Miya-san? No, it can't be… _ Shaking my head, I grabbed Akitsu's plate and squared my shoulders. _I have seven, no eight, Sekirei now. I'm in no position to even think of pursuing a relationship with my landlady; she's my _landlady_ for God's sake! Plus…she's still mourning her husband. I…I…I'm fucking lost and confused right now… Might as well head back to familiar territory…_

I walked into the dining room and saw that my Sekirei were all talking with each other, though I noticed Yomi and Kuu were still keeping close watches over Akitsu. At the same time, Yukari was leering Akitsu, casually speaking with her. Clearing my throat, I caught everyone's attention. "Sorry I'm late; I had to help Miya-san get everything together." Making my way around the table, I removed my plate from in front of Akitsu and placed her own there. "Well, I'm gonna wash my plate then head to bed. I'm running on fumes as it is. While I'm gone, I want all of you to not bully Akitsu; or molest her…" I eyed my imouto, who grinned innocently up at me. Rolling my eyes, I looked to Yomi and gave her a look. She bowed her head and nodded lightly. Feeling contemplative, I asked her, "Yomi, if you have time, can you help Akitsu get settled? You know, show her the ropes of the inn; as a favor to me, of course. Plus, it'd help with team cohesion."

Yomi looked to me quickly and upon seeing the look I was giving her, she nodded slowly. She then looked to Akitsu, who had started her dinner, and said, "Akitsu-chan, do you wanna hang out with me for a little while after dinner?"

Akitsu gave her a contemplative look, before turning to me.

"It's entirely up to you. I'd like it if you did, but it's your choice." I said with a small smile.

Akitsu then turned to Yomi and said, "I don't mind…"

As I nodded with an approving smile, I wished everyone a good night and left for the kitchen. Washing and putting away my dish, I slinked upstairs and very nearly collapsed as I entered my room. Managing to change into my sleepwear, I fell into a gratefully deep slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>Homura<strong>

The two of us managed to reach Maison Izumo around nightfall. I had decided to shut my phone off, and got Yashima a meal before we returned. I stepped through the front gate and debated on walking in through the front door, but decided against it. I didn't want to risk having Miya ask me a question I couldn't answer.

Thankfully, I always have my window unlocked, so I have a quick entry and exit whenever I get messages about Unwinged Sekirei. As far as I know, only Matsu would know when I arrived. Approaching the window to my room, I cupped my hands around my eyes and peered inside. After I made sure that it was clear, I pushed it open and beckoned for her to get inside. As she climbed in, I helped heave her hammer inside, careful to not break the window or the sill. As we made sure it wouldn't cause any undue noise, I climbed in after her and silently shut the window.

Falling onto my chair, I pulled off my mask and allowed myself to finally relax.

Yashima stood in the center of the room, looking around shyly. "Um, Homura-san…where are we?" Her voice was soft, thankfully, and hesitant.

"We're at the inn where I live. You'll be safe as long you stay here."

Yashima continued to stay rooted in place, still looking around nervously. "How do you know?"

I couldn't help but release a small laugh. "The landlady is not someone you want to mess with; and if she's not here, then there are plenty of strong Sekirei that could dissuade any intruders." I paused, closing my eyes. "Plus… their Ashikabi, Takeshi-san, isn't someone you'd call defenseless either."

Her eyes widened comically, "Takeshi-san lives here too?"

Nodding, I pointed up. "He lives on the second floor. I'm going to introduce the two of you in person tomorrow. Hopefully, he doesn't have his flock attack me for what I've done." I couldn't hide the regret in my voice as I said that.

"He wouldn't do that!" Yashima suddenly said, walking quickly towards me.

I blinked, surprised by her outburst. "And…how would you know that?"

Yashima pauses, a small blush coming over her cheeks. "Well, he's the Ashikabi I'm reacting to…and he sounded so kind…"

I let out a small laugh. "I'm not entirely sure, but…I'll have to go with you on that then." Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and released a breath. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep here."

"Are you sure?" I heard her ask me.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'm not the tired anyway." I lied to make her more likely to listen.

"Oh…okay." I heard her foot steps, then rustle of my blankets. After a few moments, she said, "Homura-san?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

I smiled lightly, "It's no problem…" Sometimes…being the Sekirei Guardian isn't as cumbersome as one would think…

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

I woke up the next morning feeling wonderfully refreshed and energized, thankfully. I also took notice of the person held against me with my right arm. Tsukiumi snuggled against me, her leg casually slung over mine, arms at my waist and her head resting on my chest. Feeling content to simply lie there, I saw that only my left arm was free; my right was currently being claimed by Tsukiumi, wrapped around her sleeping form. Pulling her closer to me, I felt her oblige, as she hook her leg around my waist and her hands moved up to my shoulders. She snuggled her face against and I couldn't help but grin as I noticed her eyes beginning to flutter open slowly.

"Good morning, Tsukiumi." I said with a wide grin.

Tsukiumi blushed heavily when she finally registered how close she was. She blinked a few times to wake herself, then replied, "Good morning, Takeshi."

I simply locked eyes with her, looking deeply into her dark blue orbs. Her eyes swam as she looked into mine, her breath slow and rhythmic. It was only a few seconds at most when she opened her mouth to speak, but I silenced her before she could say anything.

Turning to face her completely in her grasp, I leaned in and earnestly pushed my lips against Tsukiumi's. After slowly moving our lips in unison, I broke the kiss and grinned. "Talk about a wake up call, eh?"

She blushed, sputtering slightly before ending with, "I-I believe so."

Slowly breaking away from her, I kept my hand entwined with hers as I pushed myself into a sitting position. Shaking my head, I looked around my room. I don't know why, but I felt…different. I felt well-rested, of course, but there was something else too. I felt, well, alive. It's strange and difficult to explain, but when I sat up, it was like my body was suddenly charged with electricity. Feeling a grin spread on my face, I fell back and winked towards Tsukiumi, released a breath and lifted my legs into the air. Kicking forward, I lifted myself off of my futon and silently landed in a half-crouch. My heart was racing as I stood there, reveling in my strength.

"Takeshi, are you okay?" Tsukiumi inquired, sitting up slowly.

I turned my head to face her and couldn't keep the grin off my face. "I'm great. I can't explain it, but I feel so…_alive_. My body is just brimming with energy." Reaching to the side, I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on. "I'm going to see if Miya and Musubi are training. I need to do something or else I'm going to bounce off the walls." Turning back to her, I leaned and gave her one final kiss before heading out of my room, leaving Tsukiumi in a minor stupor.

Taking a look out the window, I saw that Miya and Musubi were indeed sparring at the moment. Sliding the window open, I called out, "Hey! Miya-san! Musubi!"

The two of them stopped mid-movement and Miya gave me an amused, but slightly frustrated glare. "Hitomi-kun, I'm glad you're up earlier than normal, but did you really have to interrupt Musubi's training?"

I grinned and replied, "I want to try something out with Musubi. Let her try fighting someone with more skill in hand to hand combat, rather than the sword for once."

My landlady arched an eyebrow. "Is that really smart, Hitomi-kun?"

Musubi, on the other hand, was ecstatic. "Really, Takeshi-san? You'll spar with me?!"

I waved lightly, "Trust me, Miya-san. I've been doing this for years. I know my limits."

She pursed her lips, "Okay then, but be careful. Come on down, then."

"Alright. I'll see you." Taking a step away from the window, I raced forward and planted my hand on the sill, pushing off and out. Spinning mid-air to transfer momentum, I landed on the lawn in a slight crouch. Standing, I released a slow breath and relaxed my body, feeling the overwhelming energy flowing through my body. I turned and looked around; it seemed that Uzume, Toyotama, Yomi, Kuu and Akitsu were all watching the spar. However, at my sudden appearance from the window, it seems I may have surprised all of them. "What?"

"You jumped out of the window. I'm sure it's a safe assumption that we'd be shocked." Uzume said in complete deadpan, a small smile on her face, betraying her own statement.

"Oh, please. All of the crazy things I've done, you shouldn't be shocked." Smiling at her roll her eyes, I looked to Akitsu and said, "Keep an eye on your new Ashikabi, Akitsu, you're going to see something that's gonna blow your mind." After that, I looked to Kuu and asked her to bring my shoes. She accepted my request and raced away, then returned holding with her objective.

Putting them on, I jumped up and down a little bit, trying to get warmed up. Turning to Musubi, I rolled my shoulders and said with a grin. "Come on, Musubi, whenever you're ready."

"Okay!" She lunged forward and threw a straight punch.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Akitsu flinch, no doubt wanting to come to my aid. My grin widened as I casually sidestepped the punch and grabbed Musubi's wrist. Pulling forward, I planted my free hand on her waist and twisted my body, throwing her head over heels away from me.

Musubi pushed off the ground with her hand and landed on her feet. She exclaimed in surprise at my sudden action, but wasn't able to do much else, because I lunged after her. Leaping forward and up, I spun and threw out a foot in kick aimed at Musubi's head. Seeing it coming, she ducked just in time for my foot to fly harmlessly over her head. Following up with a kick from my other leg, I watched as she blocked it with her arm, catching it at the shin.

She countered with a hook. Throwing my free foot towards the ground, I kicked myself away and evaded the attack. Bracing my feet against the ground again, I lunged forward and threw my own straight.

Musubi smacked it aside and aimed a punch at my gut.

I threw my hands downwards and pushed myself up and over her punch. Grabbing her wrist, I used it as leverage to spin my body around, aiming another kick at her head. Once again, she dodged by ducking her head and pulled her hand back, making me push off of it. Planting my feet back on solid ground, I crouched and waited for her charge.

Musubi lunged after me, unleashing a barrage of attacks that I saw miles away.

Ducking and dodging effortlessly, I found myself grinning and laughing in excitement. Yelling encouragement and critiques, I continued to evade all of her attacks.

After I dodged one of her attacks with a quick step to the side, I let one of my fists rocket forward and fly by her cheek, missing by less than an inch. "You're doing great, Musubi, but you're telegraphing all of your attacks. Remember what Miya-san said during one of your spars: let your strength flow naturally. You're getting it, but I want you to improve even more." I took a step back and let my arms hang loosely. "You want to be strong like Yume, right?"

"Yes! Of course I do!" Musubi called out, an excited grin on her face.

"Then come at me!" I called out in challenge.

Musubi charged me again, this time moving even faster and surprising me with her new enthusiasm. As she did so, I found that I too was surprised.

Well, not towards Musubi specifically, though it was there, but about myself. I was surprised that I was able to keep up with her so effortlessly. Normally, I'd have to have some sort of breathing room in order to predict and track movements; but, now, I just knew where to move, what to do. The strange thing was: my mind wasn't telling me where to move because I knew what was going to happen next, it was like I knew what _Musubi_ was going to do next. I knew what she was going to do; I knew she was trying to emulate my fighting style; trying to move quickly, strike efficiently, and predicting the next move. When I understood that, everything flowed naturally. My mind and body knew Musubi and made my body react accordingly.

At Musubi's final punch, I grabbed her wrist a second time and pushed her farther in the direction she threw her fist. The sudden action threw off her balance; I threw out a foot and took her feet out from under her. Releasing her wrist, I extended my other hand and hooked my arm beneath her legs, then the other under her shoulders.

At the end of the spar, there I stood, holding a very surprised Musubi in the bridal carry, in the middle of the lawn. Smirking at the shocked Sekirei, I said, "What? After all this, you're still surprised at what I can do?"

The first person to recover was Toyotama. Her expression changed from shock to one of which that promised very naughty things and she spoke, "I going to have so much fun later."

* * *

><p>"Where did that come from, Take-tan?" Matsu asked as I walked out of my bedroom, fully clothed.<p>

"Where did what come from?" I countered.

Matsu pouted, "What you did to keep up with Musubi-tan so well. I know you're strong and well-trained, Take-tan, but no human can do that, regardless of the training you had."

I shrugged, the result of my short spar with Musubi were a bunch shocked stares, to questions, to awe from Kuu and Musubi. While I thought the fact that Matsu brought up was important, what I found stranger was the fact that I wasn't tired, or even winded immediately after. "I honestly have no idea what happened, Matsu. All I know is that when we sparred, I already knew what Musubi was going to do."

Matsu crossed her arms, clearly thinking.

I paused and thought for a moment, "Don't potential Ashikabi have to already have some Sekirei DNA apart of them? What if I have more of it that most and possibly tapped into that? Maybe that's why I'm such a strong Ashikabi."

Matsu nodded lightly, "That could be a possibility, but we don't know for sure."

"Could we do a blood test?" I inquired innocently.

Matsu paused, considering it. "It could work. I could have someone run it to the hospital…" She nodded and ran back to her room, pushing the door open. After a few moments, she walked back to me, a small package in hand. Tearing it open, she poured the contents into her empty hand. It had a needle, syringe and a small vial.

I looked at her a little incredulously. "You have those things on hand?"

"Well, yeah. Matsu has all things for all kinds of experiments." She said so innocently, the implications behind her words almost blew past me… Almost.

I groaned and pushed up my sleeve. "I hope the needle's clean." Matsu glared at me as she prepared the needle. Dabbing my arm, she slowly slid the needle into my arm. Draining a small bit, she pulled the needle out and injected the contents into the vial. I didn't flinch a bit…much…

"There. I'll have someone take this to a hospital and you'll have your information." Matsu put the vial into a protective case and put the needle into a bag, marked for disposal. As we walked down the hall, she asked, "So where is Take-tan taking Toyotama-tan?" She asked an innocent question, but I caught the meaning behind it.

I shrugged, "Wherever she wants, really. I have a plan if she wants to go with it, but I highly doubt that's the case."

Matsu gave her signature perverted laugh. "Toyotama is going to ravish Take-tan. Soon, it will be my turn, so I can't wait for the juicy details."

I couldn't but smirk, "Well, it may be the other way around if Toyotama really wants to do that." A small growl escaped from me as I spoke. Matsu suddenly grabbed onto my sleeve. I looked down to her. "Are you alright?"

"That…sound sent shivers down my spine." She grabbed onto my shirt and pulled herself onto me. "I can't wait for my turn."

I couldn't hide the grin on my face. "I can't promise a specific time, but I can guarantee it will happen. So just be patient, it'll be the ride of your life."

Matsu purred, still holding onto my sleeve.

"Walk on your own. You're legs still work. I haven't worked my magic just yet." When we approached the front door, I waited for Matsu to finally stand on her own two feet. When she did, I saw that Miya was walking down the hall with Toyotama behind her.

"Ah, I see you're already down here, Hitomi-kun. I was just telling the others that I was going out today and I was wondering if you could help out around the house after you came back."

I shrugged, "That sounds like a plan, Miya-san. I'll be sure to get right to work when we get back." I also watched as Akitsu appeared around the corner, behind the stairs. Upon seeing me, she began heading towards me. "Hey, Akitsu, did you have a good first night here?"

She nodded, though she seemed to deliberate on what to say next. "Yes… are you going out?"

I released a small laugh. "Yeah, I'm going out with Toyotama for a little bit. When we get back, I can work with you on whatever chores we have and we talk. In the meantime, get to know the others." I paused, looking around slowly, "Was Yomi nice to you?" I said with a grin when I saw her round the corner.

Though Akitsu nodded, Yomi pouted and cried out, "Mou, Takeshi-sama! I didn't bully her… I even managed to convince Uzume to make Akitsu some costumes." She beamed, crossing her arms triumphantly.

I remained silent, already trying to think of a proper response. Nodding my head, I couldn't help but look at Akitsu's current outfit. She was already showing so much… "It wouldn't hurt, but force yourself. Don't do anything you don't want to, alright?" Akitsu nodded and I couldn't help smile at the moment.

Toyotama walked over to my side and said, "You ready?"

"Yeah." I slid my shoes on and pushed the door open. "We're heading out."

"Be careful." Miya replied.

* * *

><p>After having left the inn, I asked, "What do you want to do today?"<p>

Toyotama placed a finger to her chin. "That depends, how long do we have?"

I pulled out my phone and checked the current time. "I'd say we have little over four hours, then we'd have to head back."

Looking around slowly, I couldn't but notice a small smile coming to Toyotama's lips. "You know, I think four hours is plenty of time."

"Plenty of time for what?" I asked, even though I already knew.

"How about you take me to the place where you took Yomi, then we can talk." She grabbed my arm and pulled me against her, giving me a very sultry look.

A smile spread across my lips that caused Toyotama's eyes to widen slightly, clearly understanding what I was thinking. "Well, if that's what you want, then I guess I won't argue. I just hope you can keep up with me."

* * *

><p>We approached the door to our room and I slid the key into the door, unlocking it. Opening the door, I allowed Toyotama to stroll in first, then stepped in after her. Shutting the door, I locked it without looking and wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. Pulling her flushed against me, I leaned over her shoulder and whispered, "You don't have to wait anymore, Toyotama."<p>

Pressing herself against me, she purred, "I'm glad that you think so, because I'll make sure you never forget." Breaking out of my hold, Toyotama grabbed me by my collar and pulled me towards her, claiming my lips with hers. Almost immediately, she invaded my mouth with her tongue, teasing mine. Though I was caught off guard by her sudden action, I immediately reciprocated, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her closer against me. As I did so, she released her hold on my collar and dragged her hands down my chest and under my shirt. Feeling my bare stomach, she moaned as she took hold of the hem of my shirt and tried to pull it off. I reluctantly broke off from her to allow her to remove my shirt.

After she threw my shirt brusquely to the side, Toyotama then leaned into me, melding her lips to mine and pushing her knee up into my groin, kneading it gently. I groaned into the kiss, taking hold of her arms, I pulled her even closer. As she wrapped her arms around my neck, I, in turn, wrapped my arms around her, allowing my hands to travel her back. Gradually, my hand made it to her upper back, where the zipper rested. Taking hold of the handle, I pulled it down her back and heard the click as it reached the bottom of her top.

Feeling her smile behind the kiss, I broke it slowly and gave me another sultry look. "You're a bit impatient, aren't you?"

I grinned, allowing my hands to snake under her loosened top. "What can I say, you've got me snared."

"It's about time." She whispered as she removed her top, giving me a full view of her bare chest. She did the same to her top as she did mine, tossing it casually over her shoulder. Once again, I pulled her against me and delved into another kiss, this time lifting her off the ground. She let out a surprised sound, muffled by the kiss, but simply allowed me to carry her to the bed.

* * *

><p>I collapsed back, lying on my back on the bed, with Toyotama splayed out on top of me. The both of us were covered in a sheen of sweat as I stared at the ceiling of the hotel and she with her eyes closed.<p>

"So…was it like you imagined?" I asked her, feeling her slowly drag a finger across my chest.

She hummed into my chest, snuggling closer. Toyotama then looked up to me, "I have to say that you blew my mind." She paused and smiled, "You do realize that we'll have to do this more often now, right?"

I felt myself smile as I placed a hand on my head and groan lightly. "Yeah, I figured you would say that; which is why we have a few hours alone together, so we can go as much as you want." I shook my head, "I figured you would be the insatiable type."

Toyotama simply grinned, "Oh, you know me all too well." She crawled up the bed and wrapped herself around me. "I say we go again, just to pass the time until we head back." She smiled widely, pulling my arm in between her breasts.

I released a breath. "Give me a moment to rest, will you. I'm still human…probably…"

* * *

><p>When it came time to head back, I took notice that Toyotama was still able to walk, though with a rather obvious limp. I, on the other hand, was pleasantly sore and still able to walk rather normally, in spite of the fact that Toyotama had ridden me like a horse for the past four hours… Well, I guess it went both ways…<p>

Anyway, the way back was uneventful, thankfully. I don't think a fight would have been the best thing to have right after the exhaustingly, satisfying exercise the both of us just had. As we headed back, I felt the need to ask something. "Uh, Toyotama, you're going to tell the others, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah." She said without hesitation, a wide grin on her face. "I'm going to tell them all, in great detail, everything you and I did. After all, I need to compare stories with Yomi." She placed a hand on her chin, "Maybe give a few helpful hints to the others…"

Well, there goes my peace for the next month.


	18. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Wow…well, uh… I've got nothing to say to explain why I've been inactive for so long. Time just got away from me. Finals are about done. I've been watching videos on Youtube. Reading fanfiction. Writing other ideas. Blocked on ideas. _

_You know, the usual._

_Anyway, I have to say the reveal in this chapter is long in the making. I was unsure on how to really write that one part. I know it makes the action I made Takeshi and Matsu take moot, but it will come back into play earlier. Also, I tried to explain exactly why Takeshi's able to do what's capable of doing. _

_What I'm trying to say is this: I have no idea what to think of this chapter. On one hand, it came fairly easy to me. On the other, I find that this is becoming much larger than I anticipated. So many characters, so many interactions! It's good for you guys, considering you get more antics and interactions; so-so for me because I've got to keep up with them. _

_Anyway, I find myself enjoying the irony at the end of the chapter. It's pretty clear why, but you'll see when you read it. _

_Moving on. Read, review, and most importantly, enjoy…_

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Eighteen

Reunion

Toyotama and I returned to Maison Izumo in time to see Musubi and Kuu walking out of the front door of the inn, carrying a water hose. Upon seeing me, Kuu raced towards me and slammed into my legs, nearly throwing me off balance. "Hey there, I wasn't gone that long."

Kuu looked up to me with a pout, "You're not supposed to leave without Kuu anymore, onii-chan."

I released a small breath, ruffling her hair. "We'll have to see, okay? Onii-chan is going to do the laundry. What do you say we play a game tonight?"

"Okay!" She then ran to Musubi.

I looked to her and said, "Hey, Musubi, how have you been today?"

"Really good, Takeshi-san! I'm still really happy that I was able to spar with you. I can't wait to spar again." She jumped up lightly, shaking her hands quickly.

Toyotama smirked, "Just wait, one day you'll be able to 'spar' with him for as long as you want."

The double entendre flew right over Musubi's head as she punched the air. "Yes! I'll be able to show Takeshi-san how I've been growing." She squirmed in excitement, thinking of something entirely different from what her fellow Sekirei was implying.

I couldn't help smile at Musubi, her excitement infectious. "Yeah, neither can I. Don't forget about tomorrow, though. We'll be training as group then, so rest up today."

"Of course, I'll make sure to save all of my energy for it!"

I shook my head at her exuberance and strode inside of the inn, ruffling Kuu's hair as I did so. As I headed towards the stairs, I inquired Toyotama, "So what are you going to do?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. If I have to actually do something, then I guess I'll probably look for Yomi and see if she needs help. I don't think I can sit down at the moment." She paused, giving me a look as we strode up the stairs, an amused smirk playing on her lips. "You're grinning, Takeshi-kun. Did what I just say give you more ideas?"

I released a small chuckled, feeling the bass in my voice coming forth. "No, it just made me feel like more of a man…"

My Sekirei simply shook her head, "You're too much."

"That's not what you said earlier." I remarked flippantly.

"Now you're just asking for it." Toyotama said with a smirk.

I stopped at the top of the steps, smiling lightly. "I think I already got it." I winked at Toyotama and walked towards the bedrooms, actually leaving her with a genuine awestruck expression. I think that's a win for me…yep, definitely a win.

* * *

><p>I stepped out of the farthest room on the second floor with a pile of futons in my arms. Using my foot, I shut the door and began walking down the hall. As I did so, I noticed the hidden door to Matsu's room open and saw that she stepped out of it. "Hey, Matsu." I said, looking around my stack of futons.<p>

"So you're getting right to work, Take-tan? I figured you'd need to rest after what Toyotama put you through." Matsu laughed, giving me the thought of a perverted old man… A perverted old man that's really a very attractive woman in disguise… God, there's something wrong with me…

"That's what I though too." I said giving her a tired look. The chances of her peeking in on my one on one 'activities' with my Sekirei were pretty high, so I've pretty much given up thinking otherwise. "Truthfully, I don't feel all that tired after all the sex we had. I still feel a little sore, but that's to be expected. However, I still feel like I could run a mile, and have enough energy to have a rematch with Kaede." I've managed to keep it under wraps, but I've had an urge to pay that bitch back for what she did to me. Before that, I need to get myself back into the rhythm of training and combat.

"Oh, really, now?" Matsu sauntered over to me. "You have that much energy?"

I gave her a smirk, "I know what you're trying to do, but now isn't the time. I need to do the laundry." I paused for a moment, seeing her pout at me and cross her arms. I released a breath, "Do you have any dirty laundry for me?"

Matsu paused, seeing the pile of futons in my arms. "Ah, yes I do. Give me a moment…"

Should I be surprised? Should I at least be little embarrassed? I think it's because I've grown since the beginning of the game, but that's optimistic. In truth, I think it's because the presence of my sex-crazed Sekirei that I've become just a little more perverted and much more sexually frank. Just a little…right?

I simply blinked in small realization when Matsu began stripping out of her dress right in front of me. Within the span of a few moments, my clearly well-endowed Sekirei was standing in front of me in nothing but a set of pink bra and panties. She held her dress in her hands when I released a breath and placed the futons to the side. Walking to Matsu, I grabbed her dress and placed it on top of the pile of futons.

Turning to face Matsu, I simply stepped up to her. Lifting a hand, I placed it under her chin. "You're trying to get me in trouble, aren't you?" I dragged my thumb gently across her chin.

Matsu was silent for a moment, her expression confused. However, that was only a few seconds long because she finally understood. A smile spread across her lips. "Well, if that's what it takes for Matsu to get her experiments…"

Reaching forward with my free hand, I placed it on her waist and pulled her against me. "How about I give you preview?" I leaned down and was about to kiss her, but I heard someone get to the top of the steps. I looked to the side to see my hot-tempered water Sekirei. Seeing the look of poorly-hidden rage and her tightly clenched fist raised, I took note of several bands of water swirling around her. "Uh, hi…"

Tsukiumi grounded her teeth. "When I heard that you had returned, I was hoping that I would aid you in your chore. But…what do I see when I find you? I see you about to kiss Matsu, half-naked at that, instead of fulfilling your errand." Pointing her clenched hand at me, she allowed her finger to rise, causing the water to accelerate around her.

"Uh… Help?" I said to Matsu.

There was no response because I was quickly struck by Tsukiumi's stream of water.

* * *

><p>Clad in a new set of dry clothes, I affixed everything on the clothesline, letting them air out. "I apologize for not finding you as soon as I got back, Tsukiumi. I wanted to get my chore finished as soon as possible, but when I ran into Matsu I had a moment of weakness."<p>

Tsukiumi nodded, approving my apology. "Good, I accept your apology. Do you now know what to do when you return to the inn when I am not with you?"

I sighed, "I'm to find you immediately and let you know I have returned."

Smiling proudly, Tsukiumi crossed her arms. "It's good that you understand now."

Is it sad that she's already got me whipped, in comparison to my other Sekirei?

The strange thing is that she said she was planning on helping me, yet she's sitting on the porch with Matsu, simply watching me work. "Didn't you say you came to help me?"

"Yes." Tsukiumi said curtly. "However, as punishment, I will allow you to work alone." She turned her head to glare at Matsu. "Plus, I need to keep an eye on this lascivious witch so that she does not tempt you when you have work that needs to be done."

I groaned while Matsu simply grinned, tapping away at her tablet. Shaking my head, I asked, "Say, where are the others? I haven't seen Yomi, Akitsu and Uzume since Toyotama and I got back."

"I asked Uzume to take your blood sample to the hospital for the test. That was only a few moments after you left. She still hasn't come back…" Matsu said while typing away. "Yomi and Akitsu are out shopping. They left a little while before you returned, so they'll be back soon. Also, Toyotama is working around the inn; Miya was nice enough to leave a list of things that should be done."

I released a breath and continued to work, adjusting the hanging futons every so often. After a moment, a chill raced up my spine and I walked over to the porch, stepping up on top of it. "Give me a moment; I need to check something out." Walking into the inn, I passed by the front door and took notice of a familiar individual striding into the entrance to the gate of the inn. She was tall for a Sekirei, closest to matching my height, and wore the grey coat of the Disciplinary Squad. At the same time, I noticed that Musubi was playing with Kuu, spraying at her feet with the water hose. When Kuu reached for the hose, the older Sekirei quickly turned the hose away from her.

As she did that, Kuu finally noticed Karasuba standing behind Musubi; however the Black Sekirei was on the receiving end of the water hose.

Musubi looked behind her and quickly moved the hose away from the newcomer, ending up spraying Kuu. "Oh, Karasuba-sama, sorry! I didn't see you there!"

She smiled easily, "Or her, apparently." Musubi looked behind her and saw that Kuu was indeed being drenched by the water hose. The clumsy Sekirei quickly placed the water hose on the ground. "I see you're still as absentminded as usual, Mu-chan."

Musubi knuckled her head lightly, grinning in response. When she let her hand fall, she asked, "What are you doing here, Karasuba-sama?"

"I wanted to talk about our promise. You do remember it, right?"

"Of course! I'm definitely going to win! My Ashikabi is so strong!" Musubi cried out happily.

Of course, I chose that moment to make myself known. Striding forward, I stepped out of the front door and say, "Hey, Karasuba, long time no see." Stopping next to Kuu, I crouched down and removed my jacket, putting it over the drenched Sekirei.

"Yes, it has been a long time." She looked from me to Musubi, then a smile slowly grew on her face. "I take it Take-chan is your Ashikabi, Mu-chan?"

"Yes! Takeshi-san is an incredible person! He saved me from really mean Sekirei and winged me when I was reacting to him." Musubi animatedly retold the tale of our meeting, emphasizing my heroics in the span of a few seconds. "He's also really strong and _fast_! I haven't seen it for myself, but the others have told me that Takeshi-san has fought against Sekirei before!"

Karasuba simply continued to smile, a minute hint of pride in her eyes. When the animated brunette paused to breathe, the taller Sekirei cut her off. "It's to be expected; after all, I did personally train Take-chan." She paused, deciding to give me a measured glare. "Though, I was a little disappointed when I heard Kaede-chan beat you. I thought you would've sent her to the hospital, with that arrogant attitude she has."

I simply stood and met Karasuba's glare with a determined stare. "I know I lost. I won't try to argue about it. However, when we meet again, and I know she and I will, I'll show Kaede Inoue what it really means to challenge me."

"Yeah, and I'll be right by his side, too! That meanie even tried to attack Takeshi-san with her Sekirei!" Musubi joined in my declaration, throwing in her own angry pout.

Karasuba was silent for a moment, studying me with her eyes. After a remaining silent, she smiled slightly, "I have to say, you've grown quite a bit since we last met." She looked to Musubi. "Both of you. It looks like Take-chan being your Ashikabi has made you stronger, Mu-chan."

Musubi clenched her fist, grinning widely. "Yep, Takeshi-san lets me train with Miya-san and the others. I'm getting a lot of experience fighting against all different kinds of opponents."

"I see." She turned to look over to me. "Just how many Sekirei have you winged, Take-chan?"

I snorted, reaching down and taking Kuu's hand. "You work for MBI, so it's not like you don't know. Now hurry up and get inside. I need to dry Kuu off and get her into a change of clothes before she gets a cold." I paused, seeing that Karasuba was the same. "I'd say that you should do the same." I turned to Musubi, "Can you find her something to change into while I dry the clothes?"

"Yep! C'mon Karasuba-sama, let's go." Musubi strode passed me, taking hold of the Black Sekirei's hand and pulling her inside.

Karasuba followed, however her eyes never left me.

The two of them strode inside and up the stairs, while I simply watched them go. When they left my sight, I looked down and noticed that Kuu was shaking. "Are you cold?" I asked the little Sekirei, my voice soft.

Kuu nodded quickly, but added. "She scares me, onii-chan." Her voice quivered.

"Who? Karasuba?"

She nodded her head quickly, leaning into my leg, grabbing my jeans tightly. "I didn't like how she looked at you, onii-chan. It was like she was… I don't know, but I didn't like it!"

I released a small breath and crouched down, allowing me to be eye level with her. "You were worried for me?" I smiled lightly as I gently questioned her.

"Of course! I was scared that she would hurt you…" Kuu leaned into me, taking handfuls of my shirt as she pressed her face into my shoulder.

I smiled lightly and hooked my arm under her legs, lifting my smallest Sekirei like she weighed nothing. "C'mon, let's get you dry before you get sick." Walking into the inn, I headed upstairs and towards my room. As I did so, I heard Musubi's boisterous voice from down the hall, no doubt telling Karasuba stories of our various acts. Entering my room, I shut the door behind me and placed Kuu on the ground.

As I searched my room for a towel, I heard Kuu ask me something. "Were you scared, onii-chan?"

That gave me pause. Was I scared? No, I wasn't. Karasuba should frighten me, since she's a potential enemy in the Plan, but…I can't bring myself to fear her. "No, Kuu. I wasn't. Your onii-chan is used to Karasuba, so she doesn't scare me." Finding a towel, I walked over to Kuu and crouched down.

While I dried her off with the towel, Kuu spoke. "Really, onii-chan, you weren't scared? You're really brave…" She paused as I pulled my jacket off of her. As she pulled off her dress, I handed her the towel and stood, searching my dresser for one of her change of clothes. "What are you afraid of, onii-chan?"

I arched an eyebrow at the question. "Well, if you really want to know, then I'll tell you. There aren't many things your onii-chan is afraid of. However the main thing is this: I'm scared that someone I care about is going to be hurt."

"Who are they? Is Kuu one of them?" She asked hopefully.

I paused, letting out a small laugh. Finally finding one of her one piece dresses, I turned and said, "Of course, you're one of them, Kuu. So is Musubi, Tsukiumi, Toyotama, Yomi, Uzume, Matsu, Yukari, Shiina," I matched her wide smile at the boy's name. "My mother, Miya-san and, now, Akitsu. Though I know that most of you can take of yourself, I'm still afraid that something bad will happen, so I can't help but worry."

Kuu stopped drying herself off and lifted her arms. When I pulled her white dress off her, she said, "Do you want to know what Kuu is afraid of?"

I grinned at her, "Sure, that way I'll know how to keep it away."

"Kuu is afraid of losing onii-chan." I paused, cocking my head to the side. "Kuu is afraid that one day she'll wake up and onii-chan is gone. It scares me sometimes when I wake up and you're not there. So…please don't leave Kuu, okay?" Kusano met my eyes earnestly, her leaf green eyes swimming with emotion.

I locked eyes with my smallest Sekirei and lifted my hand, placing it on her small cheek. Brushing away the budding tear from her eye, I spoke with my voice low, "Don't be afraid, alright, because I'm not going anywhere. If you wake up and I'm not there, just look outside or in another room, because I won't be far. I promise you, Kuu, that you will never be alone again. I'll always rush in and save you; I'll always be right around corner. So don't cry, 'kay. It hurts your onii-chan when you cry; remember your promise?"

She nodded quickly and lunged into my arms, trying her best to hold me close with her small arms. "I remember, onii-chan. I love you…" Her voice was muffled in my shoulder as she spoke.

I laughed lightly and returned the embrace, "I love you too." Pausing, I rubbed her back gently. "You're absolutely adorable, you know that?"

"Yep, I know!" Kuu said happily, breaking away from me. "Let's go, onii-chan!" She grabbed my hand and led me towards the door.

I sighed and opened the door, stepping out of the room. When I closed the door, I noticed Matsu's hidden door slide shut suddenly. Looking to the end of the hall, opposite from her room, I noticed Musubi and Karasuba walking out. In response to the latter Sekirei's presence, Kuu let go of my hand and hid behind my legs. "Hey, how are your clothes doing?"

"They're just about dry. I decided to drop by and see how the both of you were doing. I can't really stay long." Karasuba replied to me, currently dressed in a plain white robe.

I can see why she'd want to leave as soon as possible. From the reactions I've gotten from Miya, allowing Karasuba to stay here too long would end up with disastrous consequences.

"Also, Take-chan, how have you been doing with your Sekirei? I mean, with the Hannya's strict rules, it must be difficult for you to…show your real feelings." She said, a knowing smirk on her face.

I shrugged a single shoulder. "You know me, I respect other's people's rules, but I know how to solve problems." I met her smirk with my own.

She grinned, shaking her head with a small laugh. "I see. It's good to see that hanging around with her hasn't changed your sense of humor." She paused and gave me an examining look. "Though, you have changed. You do seem stronger, as though you've grown more confident."

Once again, I shrugged again, giving nothing away. "What can I say? I've tried to grow along with my girls. It's the least I can do."

"I see…" Karasuba said slowly. Nodding her head, she turned to Musubi, "Well, Mu-chan, I need to go. Don't forget about our promise now." Within a few moments, Karasuba was back in her regular clothes and already leaving the inn. Musubi, Kuu and I all saw her off, and we were currently standing at the gate leading into the inn.

"Well, I guess we'll have to burn that robe…" I said, mostly to myself.

"Oh, why?" Musubi asked, cocking her head to the side.

I released a tired breath, "Nothing, just talking to myself." Turning back towards the inn, I said, "C'mon, let's get back to work."

* * *

><p>It was only a little while later that Yomi and Akitsu returned, carrying enough groceries to feed a small army…or eight hungry Sekirei, their Ashikabi and their landlady. When they arrived, I went about helping them put all the food away. As we did that, I said, "So, how have the two of you been today?"<p>

"We've been okay, Takeshi-sama. Akitsu-chan and I left a little under an hour ago. It took so long because we had to get a little more food than normal." Yomi said as we traded items that went to opposing sides of the kitchen.

"I see…" I paused, realizing something that Yomi said. "'Akitsu-chan'? Since when did the two of you become such fast friends?" I asked with a smile as I opened the fridge, putting various items inside.

Yomi blushed lightly, shrugging as she moved from one end of the kitchen to the other. "You asked me to help Akitsu-chan get used to things here, so I decided to have a little talk with her." She smiled widely, looking to her fellow Sekirei.

Akitsu was silent for a moment, a small blush present on her face as she nodded. "Yes…Yomi told me many things about you, Takeshi-sama."

I froze, catching the way Yomi smiled widely, her own face flushed, and how Akitsu seemed to examine me. I released a breath, "Why do I have the feeling that I know exactly what you told her?"

"Oh?" Yomi said innocently.

Shaking my head, I continued, "Anyway, I just wanted to know, how you have been feeling today so far, Akitsu. I mean, this is basically the first day of you being my Sekirei." I grinned lightly, letting out a small laugh. "We're a lively bunch, so I'd understand if you're a little tired."

She was quiet for a moment, but replied as she helped Yomi move a few things. "It's much more…active here. Before, everyone would only be…" She paused, clearly trying to find the word. "Passing the time. It's not like here, where there's always…something happening."

I laughed again, feeling my smile widen. "Well, we've always got something happening here at Maison Izumo. I can say this without reservation: when you're here with all of us, you're never bored. I know I'm not."

Akitsu was silent again before answering, as though she were consciously trying to figure out what to say. "Yes, I can already tell…how, lively it is when you're here…" A melancholy look fell over her features when she continued, "If only you were the one to find me…then I wouldn't have been thrown out…"

"Because you can't be winged, right? You're called Scrapped?" I gritted my teeth, seeing her nod her head. Releasing a breath to calm myself, I crossed my arms and leaned against the fridge. "What does it mean to be a 'Scrapped Number'?"

"Takeshi-sama!" Yomi said, shocked at my question.

Akitsu paused, then shook her head. "No, it's…alright, Yomi." She looked to me, her eyes becoming empty and hollow. "To be Scrapped is to be broken, unable to find your Ashikabi. I can't be winged; so I do my best to be as useful as possible to an Ashikabi that wants me."

I simply leveled a small glare towards Akitsu, which caused her to flinch out of her stupor. "What did I say to you yesterday? I said you're not broken, so don't ever say that you are. You're my Sekirei now, and I protect my Sekirei, even from themselves." I paused and pushed myself off of the wall, walking out of the kitchen. "Come with me, Akitsu, I need to try something, but first I need to check the laundry."

"Yes, Master…" Her voice was soft, submissive and betrayed no emotion.

I walked outside and realized that everything was dried and ready. At that moment, Tsukiumi, Musubi and Kuu strode into view. The taller blonde Sekirei frowned at me. "Where did you disappear to earlier, Takeshi? I was not done with you."

I smiled at her softly, "Sorry, Tsukiumi, but there was something I had to attend to. In the meantime, could the three of you help me get the laundry down? There's one more thing I need to do."

Tsukiumi huffed and said, "Fine, I'll let you off, for now. However, we'll continue where we left off with your punishment at a later time." She strode forward.

I sighed lightly, unable to hold back my smile. "Yes, dear."

She blushed at my response, clearly caught off guard at my statement.

As I began pulling the laundry free, Musubi and Kuu joined Tsukiumi as they waited for me to get everything down. Handing everything to the three of them, I watched that while they headed off to put everything Matsu stepped around the corner, looking around warily.

"Number 04 is gone, right?" She asked shakily.

Before I could respond, Yomi jumped in, "Wait, the Black Sekirei was here? When was this?" Even Akitsu looked a little shaken, but concerned. It looks like Musubi and I are the only one's who are on good terms with the battle-hungry Sekirei… Which makes sense, considering we're both a little battle-hungry ourselves.

"Yes, she's gone; and she was only here to see Musubi. She was only here a few minutes before you both you got here." I explained to the three of them, trying to clear the air. Lifting a hand to cut off anymore questions, I turned to Matsu, "It's good that you're here, I was going to come get you."

"For what?" Matsu asked, then she smirked. "Have you finally decided to-"

"Not yet. At the moment, what I needed you for was to get some general info on Scrapped Numbers. Is it true that they can't be winged?"

Matsu frowned, taking a seat on the porch. "Well, yes. A Scrapped Number can't be winged because they essentially wing themselves. Their power is so great, that their crest appears prematurely. Why do you ask?"

I felt myself smirk. "I'm gonna try and wing Akitsu."

Akitsu froze at the declaration, her eyes widening lightly.

Yomi similarly froze, although her eyes were widened even more, resembling saucers.

Matsu let out a cough, shocked at my announcement. "It can't be done, Take-tan. You cannot override a winging with your own. Once winged, regardless of whether it was self-inflicted or not, a Sekirei is stuck."

"Has it been proved that a Scrapped Number can't be winged?" I countered.

"Well…no, it hasn't. At least not for a Scrapped Number; for other Sekirei, it's true. Once they gain their Ashikabi's crest, natural or forced, they cannot willingly break the contract." Matsu said, defending the laws for the Plan.

However, this Plan was starting to grate on my nerves. A few select laws needed to be broken. "But, it wasn't tested on whether a Scrapped Number could be winged?" I pushed for a more clear answer, a grin appearing on my face.

"_No_, it hasn't been tested." Matsu narrowed her eyes. "What are trying to say, Take-tan?"

I turned to Akitsu, "Did Mikogami attempt to wing you?"

She remained still for a moment, but nodded. "He tried, but nothing happened…" Her voice was empty.

It pissed me off when she said that, but I managed to hide my anger. "Well, let me tell you something. I'm stronger than he is." Akitsu cocked her head to the side, confused at my statement. My next question was meant for anyone who would answer. "Isn't an Ashikabi's strength dependent on the number of Sekirei he's winged?"

"Yes, that's true…" Matsu answered my question.

"Then, by simple examination, wouldn't I be one of the strongest, if not _the_ strongest, Ashikabi in the capital?"

"Yes, but you aren't the only Ashikabi with multiple Sekirei. There's Higa and Mikogami…" Matsu paused, her eyes widening lightly. It seems she was finally getting what I was trying to say. "But that shouldn't make a difference. A winging is a winging."

My grin continued to stay in place. "Of course, but I'm the only Ashikabi in the Plan who's had _seven _Sekirei react to, and winged by, him. The other two have simply been forcing wingings. By that observation, it means that I am the most powerful Ashikabi. If anyone can wing you, Akitsu, it would be me." My expression softened when I noticed the hopeful look on her face.

"Take-tan, I know you mean well, but…I doubt that even you could wing Akitsu-tan… No matter how many Sekirei you've naturally winged, it wouldn't help you override a winging. A normal Ashikabi can only-"

"Who ever said I was a normal person?" I cut off my informative Sekirei. "It's clearer than the sky is blue that I'm not normal. The ability to be an Ashikabi lies in DNA, and I've induced a reaction in seven Sekirei. I know I sound like a broken record, but the point I'm trying to make is this: whatever makes me so much of a strong Ashikabi could help me wing Akitsu." I paused, slowly walking towards said Sekirei. "Think about it, I survived ten years of hellish training with the Black Sekirei, I can keep up with and contend with Sekirei because of that and I've formed such strong bonds with all of you. Look at Yomi."

Yomi looked up, pointing at her chest. "Me?"

"Yes. When I first winged you, you weren't as strong as you are now. In a way, you've grown exceptionally quick. Before, you could hardly keep up with Musubi, yet here you are, matching her move for move." I pointed at her, shaking my finger. "All that came from is a single roll in the hay." I grinned at the pleased flush on her features. "Going by that logic, with my earlier 'interaction' with Toyotama, then she should have grown in a similar manner and I should grow even stronger as an Ashikabi." Coming to a stop in front of Akitsu, I slowly lifted a hand and placed it on her cheek.

Matsu was silent. "If what you say is true, Take-tan, then…you'd become even more of a major player in the Plan…" She nodded her head, "I believe that if anyone could do it, than it would be you, Take-tan."

I smiled lightly, "After all, I am the Ashikabi of Fate…" Pausing, I looked into Akitsu's light brownish eyes and said, "I'll give you the same courtesy I gave the others. Do you want me to be your Ashikabi?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but her words seemed to have failed her. Unable to speak, Akitsu nodded her head, leaning it into my hand.

"Okay." I whispered as I slowly leaned towards her. I saw her close her eyes in anticipation. When our lips were scant inches apart, I closed my eyes and placed my other hand on her lower back. Gently pulling her into me, I gingerly pressed my lips onto hers.

* * *

><p>It was strange… The first thing I remembered before closing my eyes was holding Akitsu, yet…it feels like I'm alone. All I could see was darkness as I turned to try and get a feel for my surroundings. I couldn't see a thing… Everything was dark, black and empty; I couldn't see a thing… "I've gone blind?" I said out loud.<p>

"It'd help if you opened your eyes, Takeshi."

Of course, as soon as I heard the mysterious voice tell me that, I realized that my eyes were, indeed, closed. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw that I was no longer in the backyard of Maison Izumo, but a clearing in the center of a dense collection of trees. The grass at my feet swayed lightly as the breeze blew by, gently caressing my face. I slowly did an about-face, getting a better look of my overall surroundings.

The only thing I saw was the trees, the light blue sky, and the darkness in the dense foliage. As I fully turned, I noticed a second individual, a man. He was a rather unassuming fellow, with messy grey hair that seemed to stick out every which way, the same way mine would after I'd wake up; he wore a dark grey, zip-up turtleneck a pair of black khakis and white and black sneakers. The one thing that struck me was his eyes, they were a dull grey, but shimmered with intelligence and curiosity.

I simply stared at him in confusion, until it dawned on him that he was the person who spoke to me earlier.

Before I could say anything, the man pulled a hand out of his pocket and held it in front of his eyes, a playful grimace on his face. "I know you didn't have any control over this, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you put some clothes on. Otherwise, this conversation may get a little awkward…"

I paused, then slowly looked down. "Well…this is a conundrum…" I scanned the overall area, but saw nothing that gave me an idea where my clothes were located. "Huh. I distinctly remember being clothed earlier."

The man let out an amused snort, "That's how this world works. If you're not prepared, then any companions you bring will be in for a very shocking surprise." He sighed, then continued, "Just imagine the clothes that are most familiar to you. This place will do the rest."

I arched an eyebrow at the cryptic hint. "O…kay." Closing my eyes, I imagined something simple. Blue jeans. A white T-shirt. A pair of sneakers. My jacket.

Before I opened my eyes, the man released a relieved breath. "There we go. Now this will go much more smoothly." Opening my eyes, I saw that he had put his hand back into his lab coat pocket. Slowly, he began walking in arc, making sure to maintain an equal distance from me. "Now, I'm sure you have questions. Feel free to ask them. I'm an open book at the moment." He smiled easily.

I watched him walk; unsettled ever so slightly. I can't explain it, but there was something about this man that seemed so familiar. The way he walked, the way he smiled, the look in his eyes; it all seemed so…familiar. "What…is this place?"

He nodded, "A good question, Takeshi." He lifted his arms and spread them to the sides, gesturing to the tree line. "This is a mindscape. A hallucination, if you will." He grinned, clearly holding back a laugh. I glared at him lightly, causing him to release the small laugh. "In all seriousness, it's a link; a bond that connects those…with special DNA." The man continued to smile easily, encircling me slowly.

"What do you mean, 'special DNA'?" I asked, though I had an idea I already knew.

The man stopped, giving me a small glare. "If you already know the question, then why ask it?"

I shrugged, giving him a smirk. "What's wrong with confirming a suspicion?"

He released a small breath. "Since you asked, I'll answer. Only those with the potential to be Ashikabi can come here. However, even from that pool of individuals, there is even a smaller pool of people who can _actually_ enter this nexus of sorts." Pausing, the man crossed his arms and leaned his head on a hand in thought. "Although, of all the current Ashikabi, I'd say you're the only one capable of even comprehending this place exists, let along actually coming here." He grinned, looking as though he was genuinely happy. "Good job, Takeshi! I'm proud of how strong you've gotten."

I can't explain it, but I couldn't help but feel pride well up in my chest at the man's declaration. I have no clue why, but for some reason, the man's opinion seemed to matter to me. "What are you talking about? Why am I the only person capable of coming here?"

"It's because of the bonds you share with your Sekirei." He said softly, an intrigued expression on his face. "The connection a Sekirei has with their Ashikabi is primarily focused within that bond, which is psychic in nature. It is through that nature that you are able to come here and stay as long as you have." He paused, simply watching me. After a moment, he continued, "Tell me, can you feel them?"

I met his gaze with a questioning look. "I'm sorry?"

"Can you feel them? As an Ashikabi with such strong bonds with his Sekirei, you should be able to feel that them from here. Just close your eyes and reach for them. It shouldn't be too hard…" The man lifted his hand beckoned me to do as he asked.

I gave him a wary look before complying. I closed my eyes and released a breath. Then I reached for them. That was when something happened; I heard their voices echo in the back of my mind

* * *

><p><em>I'll defeat all who stand in his path. Fulfilling his most desired dreams… <em>

Toyotama.

_I'll slash through any obstacle for him. Reaping darkness itself to ensure his safety…_

Yomi.

_I'll defend him from all harm. Wrapping him in warmth and love…_

Uzume.

_I'll break through the fog of doubt. Relieving him of any ignorance…_

Matsu.

_I'll be onii-chan's support. Holding him upright when he needs it most…_

Kusano.

_I'll stand by his side until the end. Ascending the both of us to the higher sky above…_

Musubi.

_I'll be his guiding light. Illuminating his chosen path…_

…Yume…?

_I'll wash away all of his worries. Cleansing my husband of all uncertainty…_

Tsukiumi.

* * *

><p>I couldn't move, but my body shook. Brought to my knees, I released a shaky as I felt my wracked with an uncontrollable emotion. My face felt wet, my eyes watering. Lifting hand, I touched my cheek and stared in wonder at the fresh tear rolling down my finger. The feelings the voices of my Sekirei made trigger inside of my body shook me to the very core. The sheer force of their words alone took the strength from my legs.<p>

"_Takeshi_." I looked up quickly, the man's voice echoing in my thoughts as well as from the outside. "You felt it, didn't you? The resolve that each of your Sekirei feel for you; the raw emotion behind their actions, their words." For the first time since our meeting, the familiar man strode towards me. When he reached me, he slowly placed a hand on my shoulder; strangely, it seemed to have calmed me, making me feel content. "This proves what you're capable of; it proves that you're suspicions were correct." He grinned, "You're much more than what you seem to be."

I was silent for a moment before replying. "Then what am I?" My voice broke lightly, my ability to cope with the earlier development lacking.

He sucked in a breath, taking a few steps back. Offering me a hand up, he spoke, "Think about it, Takeshi. Sekirei aren't from this planet. They were told of what they are and what they can do. Things like 'Ashikabi', 'destined partners', 'norito' and 'Sekirei' aren't things you can believably make up on the spot. There has to be some origin of those concepts. There has to be a reason that Sekirei are here today." The man stopped, giving me time to think.

I took his hand and stood, swaying lightly. I soaked in his words and said, "If I'm getting what you're telling me, then the Sekirei clearly came from another planet, where all of that was a normal part of their culture. But, what does that have to do with me, aside from being an Ashikabi?"

He grinned, "Everything." At my frustrated glare, he laughed. "What I mean is that you're more a part of this than you realize. Think about it: you can do things no other Ashikabi can do. You can stand toe to toe with a Sekirei and live to tell the tale. You've induce more reactions than all of the other Ashikabi. It's clear to everyone who can see it, you're more. After all, you said it yourself: you're not normal." The man's smile was ever-present as he waited for my inevitable response.

"But _what_ am I? If I'm not normal, then what am I?" I beseeched the man, hungry for an answer that wasn't sending me climbing up a ninety degree angle.

"'Ashikabi'." He said with a tone of finality. "You are an 'Ashikabi' in two specific ways." He lifted a hand, extending a single finger. "First, you've winged a Sekirei. That's obvious, but the second reason is much more vital." Lifting a second finger, he became serious, his smile disappearing. "The second is that you are only partially human. You are a descendant of the very race that worked so closely with the Sekirei prior to their departure, the namesake that gave the Sekirei's master a title. _That_ is the primary reason why you were able to adapt so well to Number 04's training, you're body is hardier is than most because of your heritage. One of the main reasons you have so many Sekirei reacting to you is because the DNA within your body is greatly resembles the original Ashikabi, making you closer to a Sekirei's ideal perfect partner."

I simply stared at the man before me. He knew so much; he seemed so familiar, but I couldn't place it. I felt like I knew him, or I was supposed to know him, but… "Who are you?"

He paused, cocking his head to the side. A small smile spread on his lips as he continued to examine me. "Someone who should've tried harder to keep the Sekirei away from a madman. Someone who should've left the secrets of the treasure well enough alone. Someone who pressed a difficult task upon you. Someone…" A regretful look appeared on his face as he paused. "…who should've been there for his son…"

I froze, unable to process what he just said. My leg shook as I felt it move forward, lifting my foot from the ground. Next thing I know, I'm striding towards the mysterious man. Standing directly in front of him, I squared my shoulders and looked him right in the eyes. "Who are you?" My voice was firm and unshaken, as I asked him once more.

He simply looked at me, then laughed lightly. "You may look a lot like me, but you have Takami's temperament." Shaking his head, he met my gaze and answered my question, "My name is Takehito Asama."

I remained silent, think to myself. Lifting a hand, I pushed it through my hair. Stepping to the side, I muttered, "Now I have a better idea why everyone tells me I resemble you…"

Takehito chuckled nervously, scratching his head in a similar manner. "You seem to have inherited my quirks along with her temperament." We paused, looked at each other, and laughed out loud. My…father shook his head, "You've grown so much since I last saw you, but it's to pretty obvious that you have. It's been eighteen years, after all."

I watched my father, feeling as though I finally understood why he was so familiar. "Are you really…dead?" I had to ask.

Grimacing, he chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, I am. It's a miracle I'm talking to you, right now."

"How?"

He shrugged, "I honestly don't know, but I think it has something to do with the…treasures." Takehito paused, clearly choosing his words carefully. "I tried to…move them, but they rejected me. I guess they transferred a psychic impression of me into your mind, dormant until you awoke as a true Ashikabi." He paused as he saw my confused expression. He seemed at a genuine loss for what to say, then, after a moment, finally continued. "You see, Takeshi, Ashikabi are more psychically aware than most. When we become partners with a Sekirei, we create a bond, a psychic link that connects us on a subconscious level. As the bonds grows, so does the Sekirei's strength. When their strength grows, the bond deepens. The deeper the bond, the stronger the Ashikabi can become. The stronger the Ashikabi, the more powerful they are psychically."

"So, I can, what, move things with my mind when I become closer with my Sekirei?"

My father released a small laugh, shaking his head. "No, you can't. It doesn't do anything like that. The psychic awareness is internal. You're able to feel the tangible bonds between you and your Sekirei; in addition, you're able to intuitively understand the strength of the bond between other Ashikabi and their Sekirei. Aside from that, every original Ashikabi was able to develop his or her own personal ability from the psychic awareness. No matter what it is, though, it's always internal, always passive."

I paused, lifting a hand. Flexing it, I couldn't help but wonder what I could do. If I'm half human and half of the original Ashikabi, then how would my psychic awareness manifest? Looking to my father, I asked him, "Do you have one?"

He shook his head. "No, I do not. I'm simply telling you what my parents told me, and their parents them. We came to this planet the same time as the Sekirei, to help protect them as they adapted, but we were separated as we entered the Earth's atmosphere." He released a breath, "I was the only one left when the ship was found twenty years ago."

"So…you never winged Miya-san?"

Takehito looked to me suddenly, his eyes wide with surprise. Then he released a small breath, laughing lightly. "'Wing' her? No, she's not a Sekirei to wing, Takeshi." He paused, smiling lightly, as of reminiscing. "_You_ don't wing _her_. It's more like _she_ wings _you_. I never felt more alive than after I fell in love with her." Shrugging, Takehito continued, "I wasn't meant to be her Ashikabi…" He looked to me, "Does she still…mourn me?"

"Yeah. As we speak, she's currently visiting your grave…"

He smiled sadly, "Can you do me one more favor, Takeshi? One last request from your selfish father."

"Of course." I said without hesitation. "I don't hesitate to help family. So I'll help you…dad." I smiled softly at the shocked expression on his face.

He let out a small laugh, "I wonder where you got that selflessness from?" Sucking in a breath, I couldn't help but notice that the world around me seemed to flicker. "I need you to keep an eye on Miya. I know her too well; she'll blame herself for what happened to me. Seeing you probably shakes her up, so…be an Ashikabi. Help her find happiness. That is your duty isn't it, Mr. Ashikabi of Fate?"

My eyes widened at that, then I smiled. "I'll try." The world around me flickered again, fading away slowly. Then something came to mind. "Oh, I have one more question."

Takehito arched an eyebrow at me, "Oh, you do, do you?"

I grinned, "Yeah. With this power I now have, can I override a winging?"

His expression darkened as he held back a glare. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Akitsu." The moment I said her name, my father softened. His expression seemed strained. "I want to give her what she wants most. So I want to know if it's possible."

"Number 07…" He said wistfully. Releasing a breath, he said, "Let me tell you something I told someone who had a…similar problem." As he spoke, the world around us seemed to darken, fading faster. "It is believed that Ashikabi have the power of Fate. That when they've achieved their true, most altruistic, bond between them and their Sekirei, then they can transcend the skies themselves and break free from their shackles." He lifted finger, "However, that applies to normal, human, Ashikabi. You carry the blood, and power, of the original Ashikabi. If anyone can heal the clipped wing of that little bird, then it would be you. Takeshi Hitomi, Ashikabi of Fate…"

At the end of his words, everything went black once again.

* * *

><p>My eyes shot open as I held Akitsu against me. Out lips were pressed against each other, but nothing was happening. Closing my eyes once again, I resolved to give Akitsu the wings she deserved. Deepening the kiss, I pulled her closer against me and called upon my bonds:<p>

* * *

><p><em>Give me your support…<em>

Help me follow through my word…

_Wash away all uncertainty…_

Give me the confidence to keep going…

_Remove my fog of doubt…_

Do not let me second guess myself…

_Slash through my obstacle…_

Remove that which hinders Akitsu…

_And stand by my side…_

Aid me in my endeavors.

* * *

><p>In the background, I heard Matsu and Yomi suck in a sudden breath, as I felt warmth well up from deep within my chest. <em>Now, let's see if this worked…<em>

Slowly breaking the kiss, I looked at the Sekirei in front of me. Against all odds and regardless of all logic, wings of light erupted from her back as she stared at me in awe and admiration. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she looked to me. "You…"

I smiled and wiped the tears from her face. "Don't cry, okay. It hurts when you cry and I don't know how to fix it." I promptly fell backwards, feeling an overwhelming exhaustion wash through my body, instantly pulling me from the land of consciousness.

_I'll take the edge off his inner turmoil. Cooling the inferno deep with his being…_

Akitsu.

There we go…

* * *

><p>I slowly blinked awake, seeing Matsu, Yomi and Akitsu hovering over me. "What'd I miss?" I said groggily, a lazy smile taking its place on my face. Groaning, I tried to push myself into a sitting position. Yomi was instantly at my side, lending me her strength and letting me lean onto her.<p>

"You actually did it…" Matsu looked from me to Akitsu, her eyes focused on the girl's forehead, where there was no crest to be seen. "You…overrode the winging…"

I chuckled lightly, rubbing my face. "You doubted me? I thought I told you once before, I'm the Ashikabi of Fate. What is impossible for others is simply a walk in the park for me." I let out a small groan, "Though, it was one hell of a large pack and I don't think I'll be able to do it for a very long time."

"How do you feel?" Matsu gently probed for information on her Ashikabi's well-being.

"Exhausted. That's what I feel. However, that's not important right now." I looked to Akitsu, giving her a questioning gaze. "How do _you_ feel?"

My newest Sekirei simply stared at me, her eyes swimming. Still close to me, she slowly lifted a hand and gently caressed her forehead, where the crest used to be. Fresh tears began to flow from here eyes as she looked to me. Suddenly, she threw herself into me, wrapping her arms tightly around my body. "Thank you…" Akitsu whispered as she held me close.

"Welcome to the flock, Akitsu. You're search has come to an end; you now have a place to call home." I wrapped one arm around her, returning the embrace. At that moment, Tsukiumi, Musubi and Kuu appeared, each of them looking a little shaken.

"Husba-" I gave her a look, silencing her for a moment. However, there was something off with how they looked. Their expressions were flushed, their eyes wide with shock. Looking to Matsu, then Yomi, I realized that they were similarly flushed.

Whatever I did to override the winging, it seemed to have to affected my Sekirei…

* * *

><p>I stood on the second floor, outside of my room. The window was open as I leaned against the railing and simply watched the horizon. I was feeling better than earlier, but there was still a sluggish pull at the back of my mind. It felt like I was about to fall over in exhaustion, again, but at the same time, I felt normal.<p>

"Takeshi-san?"

I turned to see Musubi approaching me from the stairs. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" She seemed worried.

"Aside from a little tired, I'm fine." I released a small breath, "I'm just glad that I was able to give Akitsu what she wanted most, even if it was a stubborn idiot like me…" I smiled at her she approached me.

"You're not an idiot, Takeshi-san." Musubi paused, placing a finger on her chin. "Though I can see that you're stubborn…"

"Damn right, I am." I said with a grin.

Musubi giggled at me, "That's what I love about you, Takeshi-san. You're able to keep going, no matter happens." She walked over to me, taking the place next to me at the window. "I wish that I could be as strong as you, always pushing forward no matter the odds…"

I cocked my head to the side at her. This wasn't the normal Musubi that I knew. The Musubi I know is always smiling, ready for a fight; always striving to grow strong; always prepared to do her best. "What's going on? You don't seem like your normal spirited self."

Musubi paused, then smiled lightly. Turning to look to the horizon, she said, "You know me well, Takeshi-san." She licked her lips. "When the Plan first began, I was with Karasuba-sama before looking for my Ashikabi. She always said how humans were below us, because they were weaker than us. I claimed that if our Ashikabi's were among them, then they couldn't be so bad."

I snorted, smiling lightly. "That sounds like her…"

Musubi continued, "Well, that was when Karasuba-sama made me a promise. If we were to be the last two Sekirei standing at the end of the Plan, then we would fight. She'd fight her hardest and so would I. I'd fight to show her that human's aren't weak and that they could help us. Karasuba-sama would fight to show that human's really were exactly as she said: ants to be crushed underfoot."

I paused, allowing that to sink in. I'm not surprised, not in the least, that Karasuba would make such a promise. What surprised me the most, though, was what I saw in Musubi at that very moment. As she stood there, looking off into the distance, I saw _her_ once again. The person I was so close to all those years ago. The person I lost; the first person who gave me purpose. Yume. Within that somber expression, I saw Yume in Musubi, beyond the obvious physical resemblance, but in the specific aura she gave off. In that moment, I felt drawn to Musubi and drawn to the person I missed the most.

"It's impossible, isn't it? I mean, Karasuba-sama is so strong; there probably isn't a chance that I can beat her…" Musubi smiled sadly, "It doesn't matter, though. If I ever fight her, then I will give it my all. I'll make sure she recognizes the strength behind the bond between a Sekirei and her Ashikabi." She clenched her fist, giving it a faraway look.

I opened my mouth, trying to find the right words. Nothing came forward. Unable to find the right words, I strode forward and gently took hold of her shoulder. Musubi jumped at my action, but quickly followed my movements. I pulled her against me and pressed my lips to hers. Holding her against me, I felt her hands on my chest, grabbing hold of my shirt. We moved our lips in tandem as her wings of light erupted to life. I began to feel myself growing stronger as I held her, drawing strength from her presence, the kiss and the bond between us.

When I broke the kiss, I leaned down, placing my forehead against hers. "It's not impossible…" I muttered to her. Lifting my head, I faced her with an easy smile. "It's not impossible." I repeated with conviction.

"Takeshi-san…"

"If anyone can beat Karasuba, it's you, Musubi. Do you know how I know?" When Musubi shook her head, I grinned, "It's because you remind of someone who was even stronger than her. It's because I see within you the potential to surpass even that person." I stepped away from her and continued, "I'm sure that if Yume were here, she'd tell you the same thing. If anyone can defeat Karasuba, it would be you."

Musubi looked up to me, her eyes wide. "Do you really believe I can beat her?"

I snorted, shaking my head, "Damn right. I've known Karasuba for ten years, seen her fight all out only a few times, but I know how she fights. If you keep training and getting closer to your Ashikabi, me, you'll be strong enough in no time." I stood in front of her, crossed my arms and puffed out my chest. "I guarantee it."

Musubi beamed and tackled me in an excited embrace. "Oh, Takeshi-san!" Surprised by the sudden action, I fell back and lied on the ground while Musubi proceeded to hold me in a tight hug. "I'm glad that you're my Ashikabi."

I grimaced at her excitability, but couldn't help but feel for my Sekirei. "And I'm glad that you're my Sekirei."

Musubi laid on top of me in a content silence for a few moments before she pushed herself up in surprise. "Oh, I almost forgot. Let's get downstairs, Takeshi-san! Toyotama-san has a story tell all of us. She said it involved you." She smiled down at me, straddling me innocently.

Fighting back the urge to groan, as I knew the story she was planning on telling, I said, "Fine…" I paused, "Have Uzume and Miya-san returned yet?"

She nodded her head, "Miya-san has, but Uzume hasn't. The landlady is going to be in the kitchen, preparing lunch."

I sighed, hoping that Miya wouldn't do anything in response to Toyotama telling her story. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."

"Okay!" She helped me up and raced downstairs.

As she left, I allowed my contained to groan to flow out. My sides were killing me, throbbing lightly. Lifting my shirt, I saw a pair of bruises along my sides, the very same places where Akitsu had pressed her arms. "You know, I'm glad that I'm hardier than normal, otherwise this would hurt a hell of a lot more." I said to no one in particular. Steeling myself, I let my shirt fall and headed downstairs. "I might as well get Kuu away from the others; she's a bit too young for this 'story'."

* * *

><p><strong>Haruka<strong>

We turned into the alley, trying to evade our pursuer. As soon as I passed it, I threw out my hand pushed the trash can into her path. The blonde simply leapt over it and the two of us, landing in front of the exit of the alley. "I'll tell you once more, Ashikabi, leave your Sekirei and I'll allow you to live." She lifted her large, European sword and pointed it at the two of us.

The woman in front of Kuno and I was a Sekirei. That fact alone forced me to run with my girl. Kuno's a Sekirei too, but she isn't that strong.

Instead of responding, I squeezed her hand and we turned on a dime, running back out of the alley and back into the street. "Come on, we need to hurry." Unfortunately, Kuno tripped over the trash I pushed over earlier. Groaning, I helped her up as quickly as I could. "Jeez, you're so clumsy!"

"My name is 'Kuno', not 'clumsy'!" She whined as I helped her to her feet.

"So be it. You'll both die." The Sekirei behind us hefted her sword and lunged forward.

Kuno released my hand and turned. I saw her shiver in fear, but she didn't budge an inch. She sucked a breath and released it suddenly. The air rang out in an echoing cry. The blonde, sword-wielding Sekirei suddenly crashed to the ground, dropping her sword and pressing her hands over her ears. After a few moments, Kuno collapsed to the ground.

I went to her side quickly, removing my earplugs. "Ha, not so tough, now are you? You just experienced Kuno's Screaming Sob. Let's see you get up now!"

"Haruka-sama…why did you give my technique such a lame name?"

The Sekirei groaned, pushing herself to her feet. "So, the bitch uses sounds like Kazuki." She grabbed her sword and glared at the both of us. "Unfortunately for the both of you, Kazuki's sounds are much stronger." Lifting her sword, she rolled her shoulder. "It looks like I'll have to kill you both." She lunged forward again.

On reflex, I grabbed Kuno and pulled her behind me…

However, it wasn't necessary because two more people suddenly landed in the alley. They were both women, but the first crashed to the ground suddenly, lashing out with a strip cloth. The Sekirei with the sword flew backwards as the cloth smacked her in the center of the chest. The newcomer had long brown hair that she tied off in a side ponytail.

The second woman to arrive slowly descended to the ground. Her long purple hair reached her lower back. She simply stood next to the first, a hand on her hip and a large bottle in her other hand.

"So this was one of the Sekirei that attacked your Ashikabi?"

"That's right, nee-san. I hope you don't mind that we took a little detour. I kinda want to show her what it means to attack my Ashikabi."

"Go right ahead, Uzume. We do have all day."

The strangest thing about those two women was the fact that they were dressed as though they were cosplaying as characters from an anime that boasted scantily clad women. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised; this is the Sekirei Plan after all…


	19. The Request

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:** _Well, here's the next installment after such a long wait. Truthfully, I was struck by a sudden case of writer's block coupled a continuous binge of anime, video games, Dungeons and Dragons and movies. Needless to say, I have a flood of new ideas and I may have to get a few of them down._

_As for this fic, I hate to say it but I'm running a little behind. I've yet to finish Chapter 20 at the time I post this one up. Regardless of that, I'd like to say that I'm nearing the shifting point of the fic. Not a lot of plot development has been made so far, but once the escape is done and passed, things will be accelerating._

_I apologize for the long wait, so here you guys go. _

_Read/review/enjoy..._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Nineteen

The Request

* * *

><p><strong>Haruka<strong>

I watched as the newcomer with cloth, Uzume, I would guess her name is, lifted her hand and gestured towards the Sekirei with the large European sword. "I hope you remember me, because if you don't, then I'll make sure you remember."

The blonde Sekirei narrowed her eyes, glaring darkly at the brunette. "You're the Sekirei of that weakling of an Ashikabi." She smirked, "The sound of his scream is still fresh in my mind."

Uzume stiffened, her arm slowly falling to her side. "Number 10 Uzume." Her voice was soft, but I felt Kuno grab hold of my shirt, pulling me closer to her and farther from the other Sekirei.

The blonde smirked, lifting her large sword. "Number 20 Hayate."

At that, the two of them lunged forward.

I, on the other hand, felt no need to witness two psychopaths beat each other half to death. Standing quickly, I took hold of Kuno's hand and was about to walk away, but I was cut off by the women in purple, who the brunette, Uzume, called 'nee-san'.

"Well, what do we have here? A couple of lovebirds trying to escape the clutches of an evil Sekirei that's trying to separate the both of you?" She held her large bottle in front of her, looking down to the both of us with wide eyes.

"Um…yes?" I said, just trying to say what she wanted to hear so that I could get away from all of this insanity.

"Ohhh! How sweet!" She swayed back and forth, squealing lightly.

"Okay…" I cleared my throat. "Since your friend is fighting the Sekirei that was chasing us, can we just go? I'd prefer to get as far as possible when this finishes."

The woman paused, placing a hand on her chin. After a moment, she smiled lightly. "I think it'll safer if you stay near one of us…" She pointed to the fight and said, "It'll be over in a little while."

Against my better judgment, I looked back to the fight.

Hayate swung her sword without hesitation, clearly aiming to remove Uzume's head. However, the cloth-using Sekirei was able to maneuver effortlessly around the swing. She moved quickly and concisely, moving in such a way that kept her from harm.

Uzume threw her hand forward, sending a strip of cloth flying towards Hayate. The strip wrapped around the opposing Sekirei's arm and forced her to stumble forward, throwing off her balance. Shooting herself forward as well as pulling the cloth, Uzume rocketed forward and slammed a knee into Hayate's stomach. Quickly jumping back, she released her opponent and opened the gap between them.

Hayate looked like the air was knocked out of her as she fell to a knee, glaring daggers towards Uzume. Spitting to the side, she stood and lunged forward.

Uzume smirked and shot forward, ducking with a sliding crouch under the sideways slash. Twisting the side, she lashed her cloth whip into Hayate side. Coming to a stop, the two Sekirei squared off in close quarters. The blonde Sekirei swung her sword quickly and efficiently, but it continued to fail to even graze her opponent. The brunette simply allowed a smirk to come to her lips as she effortlessly swayed and evaded every attack, whipping out with her cloth to continually strike Hayate.

This close exchange continued for a few moments before Hayate released a frustrated growl and threw her foot forward, catching Uzume unawares with swift kick to the gut. The natural combatant simply allowed herself to fall back and roll with the strike, pushing herself back to her feet just in time to catch sight of Hayate bearing down on her, the large sword over head.

Unable to evade in time, Uzume took hold of one of her cloth strands and lifted it above her head, stretching it to the sides. The sword beard down onto her and slammed into the cloth, powerless to cut through. Hayate stared in wonder and shock at the sudden occurrence, only to see a triumphant smirk coming from her opponent. An enraged, impassioned glare shot from Hayate's expression as she threw a foot forward.

Uzume jumped back and pulled back her hand, allowing her cloth to coil around her hand in a vaguely drill-like shape. Once again, the two Sekirei charged each other, only this time, Uzume threw her hand upwards as she got in close, keeping Hayate from swinging downwards. Taking advantage of the opening, Uzume threw her fist forward, slamming her clothed fist into Hayate's stomach.

Hayate let out a pained gasp as she was thrown back, slamming into the wall on the side of the alley. The wall caved in lightly as the blonde Sekirei impacted onto it. Dropping to the ground in a crouch, Hayate released a ragged breath and leveled a glare towards Uzume. "How are you so strong?"

Uzume placed a hand on her hip, a smirk in place. "Though I already was pretty strong before, it was through my bond with Takeshi that I grew to what I am now." She threw a glance towards Kuno and me, then looked back to Hayate. "How about you go crawling back to your Ashikabi? I don't think I'll let you harm either one of them." After she said that, I noticed several bands of cloth hover behind her. "Although, if you want to continue, I can't guarantee that you'll be able to walk away…"

Hayate snarled and stood, though she quickly crouched and leapt away, landing on the nearest rooftop.

Uzume released a breath and turned towards us, a small smile on her face. "So, how are you guys doing?"

I simply blinked at her, a little taken off guard by her question. "Uh, well, I'd say not so well, considering we were chased halfway across the damn capital by a psychopath with a sword." I replied slowly, feeling a little frustrated.

"Oh, well, I can see why. Though it's a good thing we appeared when we did. Right, nee-san?" Uzume looked to her companion.

The woman behind us inclined her head in a nod. "Yeah, I'd say so."

Uzume continued, "Anyway, do you know why she was chasing you?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't know…" Pausing, I put a little more thought into it. "Although…"

"What?"

I looked to Kuno, who was simply trying to remain unseen by her more developed fellow Sekirei. She caught my look and understood my implied question. Looking from me to Uzume then back to me, she nodded her head. I cleared my throat. "You seem strong, so I'd like to ask you a question…"

The Sekirei I spoke to crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow. "Really now? What would that be?"

"We, Kuno and I, are trying to, well…escape. She's not that strong, but we don't want to be separated." I paused, still keeping my body between Kuno and the Sekirei before me. "What I want to ask is this: will you help us escape the capital?"

Uzume was silent for a moment, before a large smile grew on her face. "You have no idea how lucky you are…"

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

"I-I can't believe you managed to do it, Hitomi-kun. Even I thought it couldn't have been done." Miya said in wonder after she took notice of the missing crest that used to reside on Akitsu's forehead.

I shrugged lightly, resting my chin on Kuu's head as she sat on my lap. "What can I say? I'm awesome." Lifting a hand, I gently poked Kuu in the side, eliciting a surprised giggle from the small Sekirei. In retaliation, she pushed my hand away and poked me in the side, but failed in her attempt to get a similar reaction due to my higher physical tolerance.

Miya shook her head at my exclamation. "You really are too much."

The three of us sat on the veranda, overlooking the yard. Miya was at my side, allowing her legs to hang over the edge. I was at her side, Kuu sitting contentedly on my lap, with my legs hanging over the side, feet touching the ground. I released a breath and pushed a hand through my hair. "In all seriousness, I honestly have no idea how I was able to do that…" _Or, more specifically, how to explain how I did it…_

"Well, whatever happened, I'm glad you did it. She would've been suffering so much if you hadn't done anything." Miya looked up to the sky, her eyes swimming with emotion.

"Miya-onee-chan, are you okay?" Kuu asked the landlady.

She looked to the small Sekirei and smiled lightly, "Yes, Kuu, I'm fine. Just looking back, is all."

As she said that, I looked into the inn and noticed that Homura was striding down the hall, towards me. I leaned back and realized that my Sekirei had moved upstairs, no doubt wary of Miya's Hannya if they were to get too rowdy from Toyotama's rather juicy tale. As I saw that he was approaching me, I lifted Kuu from my lap and placed her next to Miya. Ruffling her hair, I said, "I've got to take care of something, Kuu. Be good girl and stay by Miya-onee-chan, 'kay?"

Miya gave me a questioning look, before turning to the opposite side and taking notice of Homura. "Oh, Homura, when did you return?" Miya said good-naturedly, though the fact that she said his real name implied much more.

"I, uh, got here just last night. I've been asleep until now." He said slowly, though I noticed that he didn't really take his eyes off me.

"Oh, well, there are leftovers from lunch in the fridge if you're hungry." She paused, still looking towards Homura. "Also, if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I know, Miya, but…I need to speak with Hitomi before I do anything else." He said softly.

Kuu looked up to Homura and waved her hand, "Hi, Kagari-chan! What have you been up to?"

He flinched lightly, but turned to face Kuu. "Hey, Kuu. I've just been out for a bit. My job is a little demanding. Now, if you don't mind, I need to take your onii-chan for a few moments."

"Okay!"

Homura turned towards me and said, "Hitomi, will you follow me to my room. There's…something I need to show you."

"Lead the way." I answered him, though I crossed my arms and gave him an empty look.

He nodded and turned, walking towards his room.

I followed him in silence. When we reached the door, he opened it and strode right inside, letting me follow him in. As I stepped inside, I let the door close shut and waited for Homura to turn around to face me.

"Hitomi, the-" I cut him off with a swift punch across the face, sending him stumbling backwards. I heard a vague sound off to the side resembling a gasp, but I ignored it, opting to walk towards Homura and grasping hold of the collar of his shirt. Pulling him towards me, I gave him a deadly glare.

"Before you say anything, let me tell you something first, Homura. I trusted you and while I had an idea what was going on, I did nothing, hoping you would take care of it. However, the fact that you betrayed our trust and went behind our backs is not something I can readily forgive. Despite that, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I'll hear you out, no matter what you feel you have to say, but if you do anything that endangers anymore Unwinged Sekirei or my girls, then I won't hesitate to end you. Understand?" My voice rolled out slowly, quietly, in a venomous whisper.

When he nodded, I released him without hesitation, stepping back and crossed my arms with a subtle glare. Homura massaged his cheek, grimacing at the touch. "Yeah, I deserved that…"

"You deserve a hell of a lot more than that, but it's not my place to punish you for your decisions. I gave my input; it's up to the others how they react."

Homura remained emotionless, though I'm sure he wanted to retort. He released a breath to calm himself. "I understand how you feel; I acted behind your backs. I betrayed your trust, I get that. But, I know what I'm doing, I can fix my mistakes."

I shook my head, "You don't need to defend your position, Homura. We can talk about that later, but what I want to know is why you called me here."

He simply pointed to the side.

I arched an eyebrow at him before turning my head to the side. What I saw surprised me to the point of making me freeze in place… Or rather, it was _who_ I saw standing next to Homura's bed. She was an unassuming looking girl dressed in a sailor uniform-esque one piece that fell just low enough to preserve her modesty when walking; a navy blue ribbon that lightly pushed back her short, light peach hair. Upon her legs, she wore a pair of black stockings that covered all the way to her upper thigh and a pair of white boots that reached to just under her knees. She also wore a pair of gloves that reached halfway up her upper arms. Yashima, Sekirei Number 84, looked to me with her large, grey, doe-like eyes; her cheeks alight with a deep flush.

"Um…" Her light, breathless voice pushed me out of my stupor. "Please don't be angry with Homura-san, Takeshi-san. He…helped me get away…when your Sekirei saved me…" She fidgeted under my gaze.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch lightly. Slowly looking away from her, I turned my gaze to Homura. "Damn you, Homura. Damn you. You know my only weakness! Now, I can't be angry at you, at all!" I placed my hands on my face and groaned in defeat.

Homura took a slow step back, surprised by my sudden action. "Huh?"

I paused, taking a look at him through my outspread fingers. "If you weren't out sending hapless Sekirei to their unhappiness, then you'd have been able to learn that I can't say 'no' to my Sekirei." I removed my hands from my face, "Especially when they give me that damn puppy dog look."

There was a moment of silence, then she finally spoke. "Wait, when you said 'my Sekirei' did you…" Yashima interjected into the conversation.

"Include you?" I looked to her with a small smile. "Well, you are reacting to me, right?" She nodded slowly, though the heavy blush on her face was as obvious as the color of the sky. "And you do want me to wing you, right?" Yashima nodded again, this time with a little more enthusiasm. As she did so, I noticed her lifting a hand and placing it on her lower lip. "Well, why wouldn't I wing you then? I mean, I'm already an Ashikabi, so why wouldn't I welcome you to my flock?" I smiled lightly at the hopeful expression taking form on her face.

"So…so, you'll be my Ashikabi?" She walked forward a few steps.

"Yeah, if you'll have me." Um, I have to say that the fact that I am still continuing to get Sekirei is foreboding my future peril of sexual exhaustion. Considering the fact that I just fell unconscious after managing to wing Akitsu, it wouldn't exactly be the smartest thing to attempt another winging within the same day…

Oh, well, common sense has never been my strong suit.

Yashima nodded, a smile gracing her flushed features.

I strode forward, crossing the rest of the distance between us. Lifting my hand, I gently placed my hand on her cheek. At that, she slowly leaned into me, an act which allowed me to realize just how shapely the newest Sekirei to my flock will be. She placed her hands onto my chest as I slowly leaned downwards. Within the span of a few seconds, our lips met, causing her wings to erupt to life. The light from her wings illuminated the room as I held her against me.

Slowly breaking the kiss, I looked at her to see her smiling lightly, her eyes closed contentedly. "I'm glad to have found you, my Ashikabi…"

I continued to hold her, squeezing ever so slightly. "You'll never be afraid again, I promise you."

"Thank you, Takeshi-sama. I'll try my best to return the feelings you'll show me. I'll stay by you, forever and ever."

When we broke apart, she entwined her hands and bowed lightly. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said, "You don't need to bow, Yashima. Just do your best fitting in; I'm sure you'll find your place in no time…" I turned to face Homura, who had turned away from the two of us, seemingly out of respect. "I won't say anything to you, Homura, about what's happened. But I will help you if you ask. You've helped Yashima, so I'll leave you be. However, I won't stop one of my Sekirei if they feel like laying into you."

He paused, giving me a surprised look. Nodding his head, he said, "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me, thank Yashima." I turned from him and said, "Let's go. I need to reintroduce you to the others…" I looked over her shoulder, finally seeing her weapon, the obscenely large hammer, in person. "And try not to break anything with your hammer…"

* * *

><p>Let me just say that trying to explain a pair of wingings that happen back to back in one day is not exactly the healthiest thing to do when confronted with a group of seven, clingy, potentially lethal to your health Sekirei. However, I was able to do it without too much of an issue. All of us were now in the dining room, talking animatedly with each other while Kuu sat on my lap, as always, and Akitsu on my left as Yashima sat on my right.<p>

"My, Hitomi-kun, aren't an insatiable one. You winged Akitsu only a few hours ago, and you now wing Yashima… I sincerely hope you're not trying to turn my inn into your personal den of debauchery." She said dangerously, a black aura slowly coming to fruition behind her.

Yashima slid behind me, peeking slightly over my shoulder as Kuu turned quickly and put her face in my chest. Akitsu also scooted closer, no doubt trying to hide from the oppressive aura.

Surprisingly, it didn't affect me as much as it would normally. "I assure you, Miya-san, that's not what I'm trying to do at all. Though, since I am bringing more people into the inn, I'm going to have to take a more active role in buying groceries."

The aura around Miya slowly dispersed as she cocked her head to the side. "It's good to see that you're planning to take responsibility for your actions, Hitomi-kun." She turned to Yashima and bowed her head lightly, "I hope you find your time here a pleasant one, Yashima."

My newest Sekirei nodded her head shyly, "I thank you, but as long as I am with Takeshi-sama, then I'm happy." She grabbed hold of my sleeve and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Yashima." Tsukiumi called out to her latest partner.

"Y-yes?" She jumped up quickly, looking to her sister Sekirei.

"Tsukiumi…" I said tiredly, giving her a look.

She blushed, crossing her arms. "What? I simply wish to tell her what her place is." I rolled my eyes, but she looked back to Yashima. "You see, _I_ am the only true wife. The rest of you are simply concubines." She lifted her chin and smirked haughtily.

"Kuu is onii-chan's wife, too!" The small Sekirei on my lap growled at the bigger Sekirei across the room.

"Hey, I'm Takeshi-sama's wife too!" Yomi glared at Tsukiumi.

"So am I!" Musubi sat up on her knees, bringing her arms together.

Matsu simply giggled her signature perverted laugh, adjusting her glasses, which caused an ominous glare to overtake the lenses. "I'm fine with that, as long as Take-tan allows experimentation every so often."

Toyotama simply grinned, "I know my place. That's all I need."

I groaned with a small smile as I shook my head, witnessing the almost well-rehearsed argument.

"I-I don't really mind if I'm not Takeshi-sama's wife. As long as he wants me, then I'm happy." Yashima said just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Akitsu was silent for a moment, but said, "I want to stay by Takeshi-sama as well…"

I blinked lightly, feeling slightly ecstatic that my newest Sekirei aren't the type that would argue that they're my wife. Leaning back on my hands, I simply sat back and watched as my Sekirei bantered back and forth. It was only a coincidence that I happened to know exactly the subject matter was.

"Now that Toyotama and Yomi have had their wedding day, we need to figure out an order for the rest of us." Tsukiumi said imperiously, looking to each of her fellow Sekirei.

I palmed my face, holding back a groan. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p><strong>Haruka<strong>

"So, this is where you live?" Uzume asked me as the four of us finally reached my apartment. She and the other Sekirei, Kazehana, had offered to escort us back. At first, I thought it'd be a little humiliating, but I'd rather make sure that Kuno stayed safe.

"Yeah." I said as we approached the door. "Thanks for this, by the way."

She shook her head, "It's no problem. I'm sure I'll have no problem convincing Takeshi to help you. He's a really kind person who'll go out of his way to help others, as long as he thinks well of you."

I snorted, shaking my head. "I don't like my chances, considering I doubt I've met him." Although, I couldn't help but feel as though I've heard that name before… Oh, well, it is a common name, after all.

"Don't worry about it, Ashikabi-kun. Even if he says no at first, I'm sure Uzume-chan could persuade him otherwise." Kazehana gave a slight suggestive smirk to the cloth Sekirei.

Uzume crossed her arms, giving the other Sekirei a small glare. "Did you have to say that in front of someone else?" Rolling her eyes with a smile, she gave me a reassuring look, "Don't worry about it; I can get Takeshi to meet with you either tomorrow or the day after. Just be careful until then, okay?"

Feeling the need for a nap, I nodded lightly, "We will. C'mon, Kuno, let's go."

Kuno paused and turned towards Uzume, bowing deeply. "Thank you so much…" She quickly turned to me and raced into my apartment.

The last thing I heard before stepping inside was this: "Shall we go drinking Uzume-chan? C'mon, let's go!"

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

I relaxed into the bath, steadily exhaling a breath. Leaning back, I closed my eyes and allowed my body to slowly release it's pent up tension. Sucking in a breath, I dunked my head under the surface of the water, and then resurfaced. Allowing my wet bangs to fall to my eyes, I shook my head lightly, getting the water out of my eyes. Letting my head fall back, I just let go and allowed all my worries to float away.

Hearing the door slide open, the voice of one of my Sekirei pleasantly massaged my ear. "Take-tan! This is where you went? We were all wondering where you disappeared to."

I felt myself grinning lightly, "A lot has happened today; I felt the need for a soak." I paused, turning my head to the side and opening a single eye. Matsu was looking through the open doorway, still dressed at the moment. "What are you and the others up to?"

"We were still kinda talking about the order in which we'd go out with you, but Miya-tan kinda killed that topic after a few moments. Kuu was asking too many questions…" Matsu was still in her dress as she stood in the entrance to the bath proper.

"I see…" I released a breath and looked more directly to her. Arching an eyebrow, I gave her a small look. "So are you going to just stand there? The bath is open to everyone, you know."

Matsu paused for a moment, but a gleam came over her glasses as she gave me a small smirk. "Take-tan, I'm starting to think that I may have corrupted you…"

I snorted, "I've always like this; I just know how to exercise self control."

Matsu let out a small giggle as she slid the door shut. As she moved behind the cover of the door, I couldn't help but track her movements through the shadow given off by the light on the other side of the sliding door. After a few moments, she pushed the door open and strode into the room, clad in nothing but her towel. Seeing me track her movements, she smirked, "Were you watching me while I changed, Take-tan?"

I simply allowed myself to grin, "It's a definite possibility…"

"I am _so_ glad that you're Matsu's Ashikabi!" She said giddily as she took a seat and began to wash herself.

At that moment, Yomi and Akitsu walked into the bathhouse. Upon seeing me, Yomi's expression brightened and Akitsu picked up her pace. Lifting my hand, I said, "Hey, girls."

"Takeshi-sama! This is where you disappeared to?" She looked to the Sekirei at her side. "C'mon, Akitsu-chan, let's get in the bath with Takeshi-sama!"

Akitsu was silent for a moment, but said, "…Okay…"

I smiled and shook my head as the two of them stripped down and entered the bath. However, the appearance of the both of them must have signaled a flare for the rest of my Sekirei to make their way into the bath. It was only a few moments later that each and every one of my Sekirei, minus an absent Uzume, were also in the bath, scattered amongst the room. Yashima and Akitsu were both initially surprised and a little hesitant to join the overzealous activity of their sisters. However, they quickly adapted to the situation.

Yomi and Toyotama were sitting across from me in the bath, relaxing in the hot water; Tsukiumi, obviously claiming the role of head wife, took the seat next to me, though she blushed heavily and gasped slightly at every subtle touch, like when her thigh brushed against mine; Musubi, being the open and easily-excited person that is, instantly grabbed Yashima and Akitsu, opting to pull them into an engaging conversation about various things. Matsu was helping Kuu get clean as the smaller Sekirei was completely covered in suds, save for her face.

"So, since I left before any consensus was made, have all of you figured out the next person to go out with me?" I asked the group as a whole, a small smile on my face.

Tsukiumi pouted, looking away from me with a blush. "We could not in good conscience make this decision without Uzume being present." She scowled, "Once again, my attempts, as the head wife, at creating order amongst your concubines has failed."

I snorted, unable to hold back a laugh. "Well, if you put it like that, then I can't help but thank you for at least trying. The inn could use a little order, if not for our sakes, but for Miya-san's." Lifting my arm, I wrapped it around Tsukiumi's shoulders and pulled her against me. Nuzzling my face into her neck, I said, "Your husband thanks you for the hard work. I'll return the favor soon."

Though she froze at the contact, Tsukiumi melted against me, allowing her whole body to lean into mine. "Your sentiment is appreciated, Takeshi. It is good to know that you're grateful for what I do for you." Her voice quivered as I held her, which elicited a wide grin from me.

"Be careful, Tsukiumi, once Takeshi-kun knows what he wants, there's very little that can stop him." Toyotama said with a smirk, looking to the two of us.

My grin remained even as I replied to Toyotama's jibe. "Oh? You sound as though you tried to stop me. From what I remember, you actively took part."

Tsukiumi cleared her throat, holding a hand in front of her mouth. "I don't think that this is an appropriate conversation in the bath, Takeshi." Though she said that, I could tell that it was embarrassing for her to bluntly talk of such personal topics. I took notice of the healthy flush on her cheeks and the way she looked everywhere but the space I occupied.

Releasing a small breath, I relaxed into my seat and smiled lightly, letting my hand from her shoulders. I saw the well-veiled look of disappointment on her face, but that was instantly replaced with a large flush that encompassed the entirety of her face. I think it was the heat from the bath coupled with my antics, but Tsukiumi's complexion was rather flushed. My hand was now placed on her waist, causing her to lean into me.

"Relax, Tsukiumi-tan." Matsu said with a haughty smirk that gave Tsukiumi a run for her money. "You know how affection Take-tan can be, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he'd do that much."

Tsukiumi glared at the red-haired Sekirei, but did indeed relax into me, as she placed a hand on my bare chest. "I know, Matsu, but he has yet to show me this level of affection." She pouted, though it looked as though she was not to overtly do so.

I smiled softly to her and said, "I'm sorry if I haven't done much." Pausing, I placed a hand to my chin, then nodded after a few seconds. "How about this: I'll make sure that you feel as loved as possible from now on. I'll actively do my absolute best to ensure that each and every one of you feels content."

When I said that, it drew the attention of all of my Sekirei. I froze as I saw all of their reactions. After I said that, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I had opened something that would make my life a more difficult. Happier of course, but more difficult in the end.

In an instant, I was pulled in a suffocating embrace by all of my easily-excitable Sekirei leapt into the bath and tried to pull me into a cuddle.

Musubi pulled me into her chest, "Oh, Takeshi-san, I am so glad th-"

"Now hold yourself back, Musubi! Takeshi was supposed to be holding me!" Tsukiumi cried out in frustration.

I was pulled from Musubi and fell back to a sitting position, a little disoriented. However, my immobility wasn't long as someone else quickly pulled my head into their chest, thankful for my kindness.

"Takeshi-sama…" Yashima purred as she held me close.

Once again, Tsukiumi pulled me away from one of her fellow Sekirei and said, "See here, you should know your place when it comes to my husband!"

"Mou, Tsukiumi-san…he's my Ashikabi too…" I heard Yashima say with a small pout.

I was about to say something, but I was cut off by someone else gently taking hold of my head and pulling it into her chest. Letting my shoulders fall, I simply stayed there, considering there was not much I could actually do. After a moment, I figured I might as well do something to prevent anymore squabbles. Lifting my arms, I placed my hands on the shoulders of the person holding me and gently pushed myself free.

Seeing Akitsu standing before, I simply arched a questioning eyebrow at her.

"I wanted…to try it too…" A small blush grew on her features as I shook my head with a light smile.

Pushing myself to my feet, I felt like I had been in the bath long enough. I was beginning to feel just a little light-headed from the heat. Releasing a breath, I turned to the side and grabbed my towel. However, when I turned, Tsukiumi seemed to be in front of me and happened to be looking towards the water's surface. I simply stood there as I watched her eyes widen suddenly as she saw me in all my glory.

Tsukiumi's face flushed heavily as she quickly looked away out of respect, though I noticed her giving me a look out the corner of her eye.

I smirked and stepped out of the bath. "Well, I've got to get out." I wrapped the towel around my waist. "I'm nearly at my limit, so I'll see the rest of you at dinner, alright?"

After hearing their collective response, I strode out of the bath.

* * *

><p>It was after dinner and dark out when I was sitting on the veranda, lazily staring at the night sky. Dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, I allowed my body to fall back slowly until it was supported solely by the strength of my arms, with a blanket resting next to me. When I heard footsteps, I glanced to the side, seeing Akitsu slowly approach me. Lifting a hand, I beckoned her to come forward and take the space next to me. "It's always better to have company when watching the night sky."<p>

Akitsu nodded after a moment and walked over to me, taking the seat next to me. She looked up to the sky, then to me, her face slightly flushed. She was dressed in one of my larger shirts, yet she was not wearing a pair of my shorts, her long, bare legs revealed. As I sat there, I noticed her opening her mouth to say something. "…I-I…I want to…than you…"

"You don't have to." I said while grabbing the blanket and putting it onto her shoulders. "I…just did what I felt was right."

"Regardless, you gave me what I've always wanted… The crest of my Ashikabi. So, thank you…" She leaned against me slightly, resting her head on my shoulder.

"All I did was give you a home. You deserved more than what Mikogami gave you."

She remained silent as she leaned into me.

We remained that way for a few moments, before heading upstairs to bed. I could tell Akitsu was reluctant to separate from me, but she did, going into the room she was sharing with Musubi and Yomi.

I strode into my room and removed my shirt, tossing it to the side as I got into my futon. Falling asleep, I couldn't help but feel a little lonely as I was the only one there…

* * *

><p>I blinked lightly, feeling as though I wasn't the only one here. I didn't move, instead opting to remain absolutely still. I registered a familiar weight on my left arm and side of my chest, and the sound of someone breathing slowly. I also registered the faint smell of alcohol. In addition, I surmised that there were two other people in room, currently lying with me on my rather small futon.<p>

Finally opting to move my head, I saw that there, indeed, were other people lying with me on my futon. One of which was the one Sekirei of mine that was MIA yesterday after I returned with Toyotama; Uzume, who was resting her head on my chest, was breathing deeply and slowly as she slept. The second person was someone I haven't seen in quite a while and even then, it was only a quick, passing moment with a short, concise conversation; Kazehana, I believe her name was.

In addition, I came to the realization that they were both completely naked, save for the fact that they both only wore panties. This was rather distracting since I was also shirtless and Uzume's bare breasts were currently pressed against my bare side. When I realized that, I found that my normally loose shorts were starting to feel a little tight.

Also the fact that a Sekirei that I had no connection to was laying in such a way that nearly showed me everything was trying my self-control. Being the gentlemen that I always aspire to be, I tried to move a blanket over her, but failed due to my constricted movements due to Uzume's hold.

Releasing a breath, I simply lied there and waited for them wake up or for one of my more active Sekirei walk into my room and start a ruckus. Letting my head fall back, I closed my eyes and simply waited.

"Mmm…" Uzume snuggled closer to me, but I could tell she was waking up.

_It looks like my luck's been going pretty well…_ I looked down to the Sekirei on my arm and watched as she slowly reached the land of the conscious. "Well, look who's finally awake." I said with a small smile.

She pushed herself up so that she was leaning on an arm. However, when I spoke, Uzume quickly groaned and placed a hand on her head. "Please…not so loud… My head…" She gave me a slight look, but arched an eyebrow. After a moment of silence, she managed to speak in a strained whisper. "Not that I'm angry, as a matter of fact I love it, but why are you in my room?"

I arched an eyebrow at her, unable to hide the smirk on my face. Making sure to keep my voice low, I replied, "I hate to burst your bubble, but this is _my_ room, babe."

Uzume gave me a confused look, then looked around the room. When it finally dawned her, she grimaced lightly and grinned at me. "I guess I drank a bit too much, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess you did; considering you brought a friend with you." I pointed to the equally nude Sekirei that also lied on my rather cramped futon.

"Oh… Well, at least it's warm wake-up call, eh?" She grinned at me, though the act of speaking as much as she did seemed to cause her head some undue pain as she grimaced again.

I grinned, trying to hold back a laugh. "You want to know a good way to quickly get rid of a hangover?" She gave me look equivalent to what a parched man has in the desert who's been offered a fresh spring of water. "They say that a good stress reliever clears your head right up."

Uzume arched an eyebrow at me, a small smile playing at her lips. She looked at how close the both us were and lifted one of her hands, pulling up the blanket I had covering my lower body. Looking under it, she looked back to me. "Did I do that?"

I allowed a small smile to come to my face. "It's the morning and I have two very attractive women lying on my futon, not exactly dressed for public activity, and you're asking me if you caused that?" I leaned in and pressed my lips onto hers, gently moving hers in tandem with mine. Breaking away slowly, I allowed my tongue to caress her lower lip. "You woke me up alright…"

She gave me a slight smile, her lips slowly curving upwards at the corners. Leaning into me, she whispered, "You know, I think I'm gonna stay like this for a little longer."

I released a breath and shook my head, "I know you will." I lifted my free arm and placed it under my head, offering it some support as Uzume rested her head on my chest.

However, as we lied there, I managed to hear the other Sekirei slowly waking up. Kazehana released a light groan as she lifted a hand to press it onto her head, over her eyes. "Why is it so bright?" She said softly.

"Nee-san, I think it's because the sun is shining on you."

Kazehana lifted her hand from her face and slowly looked towards us. A seductive smirk appeared on her face when she said, "Don't the two of you look so perfect together."

I allowed a smirk to come to my lips, but before I said anything, I noticed that the door was slightly ajar, with clothing strewn along the floor. Knowing my luck, and I know my luck well, there's going to be someone that will walk into my room in the next few moments. I didn't respond to Kazehana's statement since I know that Uzume will; what I did do, though, was mentally prepare myself for the future intrusion.

…Is it strange that I'm starting to expect stuff like this?

Yeah, I thought so too…

A few seconds passed before I noticed a shadow coming towards the doorway. Pursing my lips, I tried to hold back a smile and a laugh as I waited for the inevitable to happen. Seeing a brown boot appear in the opening of the doorway, I released a breath, preparing for the inevitable.

In the span of a few second, Uzume looked to me with confusion, as did Kazehana, but their silent questions were answered upon hearing the voice of more volatile Sekirei.

"Takeshi, how much longer are you planning on sle-" She paused and simply looked down at me, and in turn Uzume at my side. Her eyes then went to Kazehana. An enraged glare grew on her face as she took in the very suspicious position all three of us were in. "Why are you lying in bed with two half-naked Sekirei, Takeshi?" She said through gritted teeth.

_Huh, she's giving me time to speak…_ Clearing my throat, I began, "Well…I had no control of this occurrence first of all. Also, Uzume is my Sekirei too, you know…"

Tsukiumi's eyebrow twitched in anger, "I see, but what about this wench?" She pointed to Kazehana.

I looked from her then to Kazehana, being careful not to look too closely, else I gain more of Tsukiumi's jealous ire. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it when nothing came to mind. Surprisingly, Kazehana was looking to me, a contemplative gaze present, and completely ignoring Tsukiumi. When I opened my mouth and closed it again, I turned to Uzume for help.

She simply blinked at me, "You've got nothing to say?" I shrugged helplessly. Uzume sighed, seemingly awestruck at my silence. Looking to Tsukiumi, I watched as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. "We drank a bit too much last night, so when I came back, I led us into Takeshi's room instead."

I palmed my face, almost wishing I made something up instead. The flippancy with which Uzume used to speak to Tsukiumi about the current situation may have further made the situation worse.

"You look like someone I used to know…" I looked to the side and had to push myself back in surprise. Kazehana had opted to sidle a little closer to me, continuing to give me that contemplative look. "I can see it in your face." I tried not to freeze up as I felt her drag the tip of her finger along my jaw line. "You also have the same look…intelligence tempered with humility."

"Now see here wench, that is my husband and you will step away from him!" She lifted her hand and was about to fire off a blast of water, but she was stopped by a resounding 'thunk' to the back of her head. I noticed a second individual behind her; when Tsukiumi stepped to the side, I was able to see Miya standing there, looking just as menacing with that ladle as she is with her mask.

"Now, now, Tsukiumi. You know my rules about violence in Maison Izumo." She then looked into my room; upon seeing the three of us, all half-naked, she shook her head. "This day was bound to come; the day that Hitomi-kun would finally fully give into his lustful desires. So much so that he actually found the one person who could be even more of a deviant."

Kazehana leaned away from me and smiled lightly, "Well hello to you too, Miya."

So, my landlady and Kazehana know one another…

"Oh, Takeshi-sama, you're finally awake." Yashima stepped into view and her face promptly flushed a scarlet red.

Yeah…not exactly the best impression to give my newest Sekirei…

* * *

><p>"Alright, let me get this straight: you met an Ashikabi and a Sekirei that want to leave the capital and you offered my help?" I said to Uzume as we walked down the steps towards the dining room. It was after breakfast and I had grabbed a few things to take to our little training session. We were both fully clothed, me clad in a pair of blue jeans, a blue T-shirt and a jacket.<p>

"Yep." She said with a smile. "You've always said that you want to help Sekirei find happiness. I just figured that you'd want to help this pair find happiness as well." Pausing, Uzume cringed lightly, "The Sekirei was pretty weak, too."

I entwined my fingers into my hair, rubbing my scalp lightly. "Eh, I can see where you're coming from, but I don't want to make this decision without input from all of you or speaking with him in person. No promises, but we'll see."

When we reached the bottom of the steps, Uzume promptly grabbed my arm and gave me a pitiful look. "Please, Takeshi~." She stuck her lower lip out.

I felt my eye twitch, unable to combat this latest assault. "You're cheating…" I grumbled lightly. I had yet to see Uzume try this tactic and had discounted her ability, with her being one of my more mature Sekirei, but I then found out that I shouldn't doubt any of them. "Fine… I still want to speak with him first, though…" I looked to the side, grumbling good-naturedly.

Uzume beamed, "I knew you'd say yes!" Continuing to hold onto my arm, she walked with me as I headed to the back of the inn. Everyone else was either sitting on the veranda or standing in the yard. As I looked to each of them, I noted with a small smile that they had indeed come prepared. Toyotama was sitting on the veranda, her staff leaning against her shoulder. Yomi was holding her scythe so that it stood parallel to her standing form and hanging haphazardly so that it would could cut an unsuspecting bystander in half when she turned. Kuu was holding a small brown flower pot, with a small green plant that had a single leaf, in her hands. Musubi, as always, was wearing her combat gloves and boots. Tsukiumi and Akitsu, being elemental types, were always with their 'weapon', so I didn't have to worry about them being unarmed. Yashima also had her giant hammer with her, which I still consider to be too damn big for any person to reasonably use; but then again, she is a Sekirei. Matsu was sitting on the veranda, typing away on her pad.

However, they're not the only one's who came prepared. I had my bokken with me, considering I feel the need for a little extra practice to get back in the swing of things.

"Are all of you ready? We're about to head out."

"Yes, Takeshi-san! I'm ready!" Musubi punched her hand, grinning up to me.

Tsukiumi crossed her arms, lifting her chin. "I will always be ready, Takeshi. You simply need to say the word."

Toyotama simply gave me a look, waving her staff lightly.

Yomi spun her scythe in hand, allowing the shaft to flip over the back of her hand and then rested it on her shoulder.

Uzume stepped away from me, still holding my hand as she took her place amongst my flock. "Whenever you're ready."

Akitsu remained silent, but nodded slowly.

Yashima grasped the shaft of her hammer, looking a little nervous, but she nodded her head quickly.

"I'll be with you, Take-tan." Matsu stood and brushed herself off lightly, taking the place at my side.

Kuu jumped up, holding her pot forward. "Kuu is ready too, onii-chan!"

I grinned and stepped off the veranda. "Well, then, let's head out."

"Hitomi-kun."

I turned to see Miya walking towards us. "Yes, Miya-san."

"Would you mind if I joined you? After all, you are only one person. Trying to help all of your Sekirei could be a bit difficult." She said with a knowing smile, though I could see something else in her eyes.

I was silent for a moment, then smiled lightly. "I don't mind; what do the rest of you think?" After getting a collective positive response, I beckoned our landlady to follow. "Let's go. I want to get as much done as I can."

"Yay! Miya-onee-chan is training with us too!"

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the abandoned lot, I noticed that we had picked up another straggler. Kazehana had seemingly decided to follow us. No doubt to see what the fuss was about.<p>

The area itself was rather sparse, being little more than a wide open space with a tree or two whose roots had broken through the concrete. It was large enough for all of us to do what we had to do, but isolated enough so that we wouldn't be interrupted.

I directed everyone as soon as we arrived. "Okay, this is how we're going to do this: Toyotama, you and Uzume will be over there, going back and forth. Push each other as much as you can, but don't hurt one another." They nodded and waited for me to finish before setting off. "Tsukiumi, you and Yomi will be there; try to push each other, just don't hurt yourselves." They nodded. "Musubi-"

"Yes! Who am I fighting?!" She got right in my face, brimming with energy.

I released a breath, "You'll be _sparring_ with Akitsu. You haven't fought with any long range opponents yet, so I want you to learn how it works." I looked to Akitsu and continued, "The way this is going to go is like this: Musubi will try to get as close as possible to you and tap you. Your job is to keep her away from you, understand?"

Akitsu nodded after a moments pause.

"Also, I want you to keep track of how many times Musubi reaches you, Akitsu." I looked back to Musubi, "Remember, don't rush in; watch your opponent and wait for them to make a move. Track the movements of Akitsu's projectiles and move in accordance with them to not get hit, 'kay?" Musubi nodded, her face comical as I took her pursed lips and furrowed brow in thought. Looking back to Akitsu, I continued, "Are you ready?"

She was silent for moment, then said, "Yes…"

I smiled, garnering a light blush from her and said, "Good." Turning to Yashima, I noticed her patiently waiting for me to give her a plan. "Are you nervous?" I asked her softly.

"A little…" She said with a hesitant smile.

"Don't be. We keep each other safe." That seemed to have to cheer her up as she blushed heavily and nodded her head slightly. I looked to Miya, "Miya-san, can you take over Yashima's training until I can get a better feel for her skills."

Miya placed a hand over her mouth as she smiled lightly, "Of course, Hitomi-kun." She turned to Yashima.

Yashima, upon seeing Miya approach her, bowed and said, "Please take care of me!"

"Oh!" Miya lifted her eyebrows lightly, but smiled and bowed in turn. "Likewise."

I felt a tug on my sleeve. Looking down, I noticed Kuu giving me a concerned look. "What about Kuu?"

I grinned, "You'll be training with me, Kuu. I have to teach you how to use your plants in a battle, you know."

Kuu gasped and squealed, jumping up lightly. "I get to train with onii-chan!"

I ruffled her hair with a laugh.

"What do you want me to do, Take-tan?" Matsu asked me.

"I'll explain when everyone's started." Looking to each of my Sekirei, and Miya, I let this sight sink in. This was the first step I was taking for my ultimate plan in regards to the Sekirei. There was one thing I wanted to do; one thing to change the fate of every Sekirei involved in this travesty of a 'Game'. This was the first major step, the first part of my own plan.

Let's get this party started.

"Do each of you understood what I'm asking?" They each nodded and I felt myself smile. "Okay, then get to it. I'll be keeping an eye on all of you and whoever I see make the most improvements, then they'll get a prize…"

That got a reaction from them.

Toyotama simply smirked, clearly knowing what that 'prize' might be.

Yomi placed a hand on her chin and allowed a small blush to appear on her face.

Uzume arched and eyebrow and grinned at me.

Kuu squealed happily and jumped up lightly, clearing excited.

Musubi grinned and punched the air.

Tsukiumi flushed and crossed her arms, smiling with a surety.

Akitsu simply shifted lightly, though I could tell that she preparing herself.

Yashima looked down, her face flushing lightly, but quickly straightened as she gave me a look of determination.

Feeling myself grin, I said, "Let's get started…"

At that, each of my Sekirei went to their appointed space and began.

Feeling a tug on my sleeve, I looked to my side and saw Matsu giving me a small pout. "This isn't fair, Take-tan. Matsu can't take part because she isn't a combat type."

I sighed, "I know, but I've already got something planned for you. So just sit back and wait." Matsu gave me a slight look, but walked to the side and sat down with a pout. Releasing a breath, I turned to Kuu; she was standing before me, still holding her potted plant. "Okay, Kuu, this is how we're going to do this. I want you to use your power and make the plant grow until I say stop."

Kuu nodded and held her arms straight out in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and focused on the plant in front of her. In an instant, the plant began to grow at a rapid rate, already twice the little girl's height. The plant continued to grow for another few seconds until I called out to her to stop. It proved to be a little too heavy for her to continue to hold, so she put it down at her feet.

"Okay, Kuu, we're going to play a game of tag. I'm going to be 'it' and you're going to use your plants to keep me away. Since this is the first time we're doing this, you have to stay right there and make your plants move to either stop or catch me. Understand?" I told her.

"Yes, onii-chan! Kuu has to keep you away. She'll do her best!"

I felt myself grin, "I wouldn't expect anything less." Looking over to Matsu, I told her, "I need you time this. Keep track of how long it takes me to get to her."

"Okay, Take-tan." She tapped away on her tablet. After a moment, she nodded to me.

I crouched and said, "Ready, Kuu?"

"Yep!"

"Here I come then!" I rushed forward, heading straight towards the little girl obscured by the plants. A green root shot towards me, clearly aiming to wrap around my body. Ducking to the side, I evaded the root and shot towards an opening in the plant structure Kuu had created at the start. Seeing me coming, Kuu lifted her hand and caused the opening to close. I ducked to the side and rolled around the corner of her wall. Lifting a hand, I put it gently on her shoulder. "Gotcha…" I smiled down at her.

Kuu pouted and crossed her arms, looking away from me.

"How long Matsu?" I asked from around the plant wall.

"Five seconds!"

I laughed lightly at Kuu's pout. "It's okay, Kuu. Onii-chan wasn't so good in the beginning either."

Kuu looked to me and whispered, "Really?"

"Yeah. I hurt myself quite a bit. But you know what I did?"

"What?" She looked up to me with a wide-eyed gaze, no doubt waiting in anticipation for some secret move.

"I got right back up." I grinned at her small pout. "What do we say we try again? We do have all day…"

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, we trained, pushing ourselves as far as we could.<p>

Afterwards, as we headed back to the inn, Miya gave me a small rundown of Yashima's capability. She strong, that's much for certain considering she has to swing around that giant ass hammer, but she telegraphs quite a bit, once again I pretty much guessed that considering the hammer and all.

In addition, I found that Musubi had quickly adapted to her training regiment, reaching Akitsu several times. However, she still seemed to lack the ability to save her clothing as much as herself. I can't really complain, considering she's still learning quite quickly. Pretty soon, I'll probably have her join me for some one on one sparring.

When it came to Akitsu, I found that I may have to sit down and put some more thought into how to better help her use her powers. Though, I'm sure she may not need it. From what I witnessed, she was nearly in perfect control of her power, able to adjust her power for any situation Musubi put her in. That ice wall appeared almost instantly and nearly caught Musubi… Restraint may be the order of the day for her…

Yomi was exceeding my every expectation. She was able to move so fluidly, nearly mimicking the water that Tsukiumi threw at her. Every move she made was put toward the next, then to the next. If her opponent gave her only an inch, I could tell she would take a mile; every one of her moves involved her scythe moving in a continuous circle, building more and more momentum for her attacks. What's more, those distortions of hers were becoming more and more powerful, effortlessly dispersing one of Tsukiumi's larger blasts of water.

Tsukiumi also showed quite a bit of natural skill. She moved as fluidly as the element she manipulated, moving effortlessly around Yomi as she tried to counterattack. The rate at which she called and fired her water was a site to behold; I truly had no idea that it was even possible to throw that amount of water that easily.

Then there were Toyotama and Uzume. It's difficult to compare the two of them to the others, considering their fighting styles are more focused on sheer skill than overall strength. Though the strength was evident, Toyotama moved with a vicious elegance that promised violence with every swing or jab of her staff. The surety behind her attacks was always rock solid, never hesitant; as though she always she knew where she was aiming and continuously hitting her target.

Uzume was the opposite, in a way. Her movements were always beautifully elegant, moving in such a way that belied her strength and emphasized her superior agility. Like Toyotama, her every move seemed to naturally come to her, as though she always knows what to do next. It was an enticing experience to observe her fight with Toyotama, because whatever the staff Sekirei did, Uzume always flowed with the action, evading and retaliating in the same moment.

Then there's Kusano; my youngest, most inexperienced and naïve Sekirei. She's the most different of all of them. While the others were well-versed in how to use their abilities in combat, Kuu is a child who still doesn't know to fully control her powers. It's not that Kuu's not meant to fight; as Sekirei, it's quite possible that combat could be their second nature, like loving their Ashikabi. But I found that Kuu had quite a bit of power hidden in her tiny frame. The power she has, the power to manipulate nature, is quite possibly one of the most powerful that I've seen in the Game so far. Right now, though, she'd be easy pickings if I weren't for me and the others protecting her. However, that's only because she's a child. When I trained with Kuu, I noticed only one thing: Kuu has an obscene amount of potential. Her ability gives her so many ways to combat an enemy, that if she were older and more experienced, then I'm sure she'd have the entire Game won.

The only person I can say that has more potential than Kuu is Musubi, and that's only due to something Yume may have done in the past, whatever that may have been. But then again, Kuu is still young; given enough time, I'm sure she could reach pretty close to Miya's plateau.

I'd bet my life on it.

* * *

><p>It was a little late in the evening when I finally asked Uzume where she was taking me. "Tell me again why we're leaving this late to speak with another Ashikabi?"<p>

Uzume simply grinned and said, "I said I'd try and convince you to at least talk to him. He sounded like he really wanted to get out of the capital."

I grumbled, "I really wish you told me sooner that you fought Kaede's Sekirei. I would've called that…bitch out and challenged her to a rematch."

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm sure that you want to exact revenge for your defeat, but I'm sure sticking it to MBI will prove to be much better." Uzume grabbed my arm and pulled it against her body.

I sighed, conceding to her logic.

It was after a bath and dinner that Uzume and I had decided to head out. Needless to say, both the blondes of the inn were quite peeved that I was leaving and without either one of them. It took a few moments of bartering and promises that I managed to come out here alone with Uzume. Needless to say, it was a borderline miracle…

We soon reached the apartment complex that Uzume said was where the guy, Haruka Shigi, lived. It was an unassuming two story building with a flight of stares leading up to the second floor. I blinked once and cleared my throat. "I…I don't think I should be here…"

"Oh, why? This is the place we need to meet him." Uzume said with a pout.

"I hear you, but I didn't exactly end on a good note when the landlord evicted from here a year ago…" I looked from the door of the aforementioned man's room to the door that Uzume pointed out.

"Oh, you've lived here before? What did you do to get kicked out?"

"I was myself…" I stopped, feeling the need to say no more.

Uzume nodded, but laughed lightly. "Oh, well, let's head up quietly then…"

"We're gonna have to be freaking ninjas. The old man hardly ever sleeps; it's as if he actively tries to find tenants to evict." I grumbled as I let Uzume lead me up the stairs and to Haruka's door. When we reached the door, I lifted a hand and knocked lightly, careful not to be too loud.

It was after a few moment's of silence that I heard something on the other side of the door. The door was unlocked and opened lightly.

"Hello, can I help you?" A tired, frustrated voice greeted my Sekirei and I. Perfectly understandable, considering the time of night.

"Hi! I promised I'd bring my Ashikabi and here he is!" She said, her voice just a little too loud.

I lifted a hand and said a single word, "Yo."


	20. The Plan

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sekirei.

**A/N:**_ Well, long time, very long time, no see everybody. You must be wondering where the hell I've been with this fic. Well, I guess I'll be upfront about it. I honestly don't know. I had a major case of writer's block with it, but it's recently cleared up somewhat. Things are coming easier to me._

_It's been a few months since I've done anything with this, so if there's anything that seems different with my writing style, then blame the time gap between them. If anything else, let me know and I'll fix it up. Speaking of, I'm considering going through my older chapters and rewrite them, clear up any problems I have with them, revise and rework._

_This chapter has been sitting in my computer this entire time, gathering dust, it's not until 21 that my latest writing comes into play. Also, the fluff will be taking a backburner to the progression of the story. I've done a lot of reflecting when it comes to my writing, so I'd like to believe it's changed somewhat, matured, if you will._

_The next chapter will be up much earlier than my norm, I owe you guys that much. I feel like I'm on a roll now._

_Anyway, enough of my nonstory ramblings, read/review/and most importantly, enjoy._

**The Hopes of Ascension**

Chapter Twenty

The Plan

* * *

><p><strong>Haruka<strong>

I looked to the both of the people at my door, blinking slowly. I turned to the side and checked the clock...11:30 in the evening. Going back to them, I took a better look at the fellow Ashikabi.

The guy had a calming look about him. He looked like he was tired, but I could tell that he was slightly tensed. It seemed like he was examining me as I was him; there was a moment of silence when we measured one another, though I couldn't help but feel that if he wanted to hurt me and deactivate Kuno, there wasn't anything I would be able to do.

After a few moments, the guy released a small laugh and shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry for coming so late, but Uzume really wanted me to talk with you about your...request. If you want to wait until tomorrow morning, I'm willing to do so..."

I paused, blinked once, then quickly shook my head. "Oh, no. It's alright. I'm kind of surprised that you actually agreed to meet with me." I stepped to the side and allowed the two to come inside. They did so, and he nodded his head to me in acknowledgement. "I'm Haruka Shigi, by the way."

"Takeshi Hitomi." He said in response.

Kuno looked up to me, then to Uzume. "You came back..." Nodding her head quickly, she gestured to the side, letting them know that they could sit.

"Of course." Uzume said with a smile. "My Takeshi is a nice guy. He'll help anyone it comes to a Sekirei and their choices."

The aforementioned Ashikabi blushed lightly. "Hey now..."

I closed my door, locked it and walked over to the table, sitting next to Kuno. "Your Seki-"

He lifted his hand. "Before say anything else, do you have anything with a speaker in it anywhere?"

I paused, then nodded. "Yeah, my phone."

"Turn it off. There may be a chance that they may be listening."

I paused, but did so anyway. "Okay, as I was saying, your Sekirei said that you'd help me get out of the capitol."

Hitomi remained silent, taking a seat at the table. After a moment, he released a breath. "Before I answer your question, I have to hear it from you. Why do want to leave the capitol?"

I was silent for a moment, but replied. "I want to get the both of us out of here. Kuno isn't that strong and I don't want to lose her to the insanity that is this damn Game." I looked over to Kuno, who was blushing lightly. "I...I don't want to lose her..."

Kuno leaned into me, her smile small but adorable.

"You've got yourself a one way ticket out of here, Shigi-kun." I heard Hitomi speak silently.

I looked to him quickly, feeling a little shocked. "Um, what, just like that?"

He shrugged lightly, but I could tell how serious he was from the look in his eyes. "Yeah, just like that. You seem like a good guy who takes care of your girl. I can respect you if that's the case. If what you say is true and Kuno-san isn't that strong, then I'll try to get the both of you out of here." Hitomi paused and looked out the window. "However, I have one condition."

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious as to what he would ask. "What?"

"We'll have to leave relatively soon, like in a day or two, maybe less."

"What?" I couldn't really hide my shock at his abrupt request. "Why so soon?"

"Because the Plan is about to reach the next stage. The number of winged Sekirei has grown exponentially, so it's inevitable that Minaka will close off the capitol in order to keep _us_ in and everyone else out. When he does, you can count on that psychopath posting guards at every bridge heading in and out."

I blinked lightly, a little surprised that someone could plan so thoroughly in such a short amount of time. "Um, alright... When should we leave? Right now?"

"No." He shook his head. "Not right now. It's too short notice." Hitomi was silent for a moment, but nodded. "I need you to meet me at certain place tomorrow at a certain time. Can I borrow a pen and some paper?"

I nodded quickly, getting to my feet as fast as I could. Grabbing the items, I raced back to the table and handed them to him. He wrote down an address and slid it over to me.

"Do you mind if I bring other Ashikabi to help me out on this?"

"Do you trust them with this information?"

He smirked and slid the pen over. "Oh, yeah. They dislike the CEO and this Game just as much as I do. If it means sticking it to that madman, they'll help in heartbeat."

I released a breath, it felt as though a weight was lifted from my shoulders. We're actually getting out of the capitol and away from this crazy Game. "Than-"

"Don't thank me until you're on the other side of the bridge. There's still a chance that MBI could learn of this plan and try to stop it."

I nodded, but paused when I listened closer to his words. "'Try'?"

He smirked, "The amount of firepower I have, MBI will have one hell of a time trying to keep me down." Looking to his Sekirei, he said, "Isn't that right, Uzume?"

"Oh, yeah. You'll kick so much ass."

Hitomi simply grinned, his grey eyes were alight with excitement. "Damn right." Looking back to me, he said, "Keep your head down until we meet. I can't have MBI looking into either one of us until you're well away from Shinto Teitou."

I nodded, then released a small sigh. "To think, I went from trying to get into the university to trying to escape the capitol with an alien."

Hitomi arched an eyebrow, "You tried to get into the university, too?"

"Yeah. You tried too?"

"Oh, yeah. I didn't manage to make the cut." He scratched his head nervously, letting out a hesitant laugh.

Uzume perked up, "It's strange, isn't it, Takeshi. You and Shigi are surprisingly alike. You both tried to get into the university and you used to live in this complex."

"Uh-huh, the landlord didn't really like me..."

"Wait, you're the guy that made the landlord ban all opposite sex visitors from the apartments?"

He grimaced, "Guilty. I wasn't the most subtle guy when it came to meeting people. Hope I didn't make if difficult for the both of you..."

I let out a small laugh. "You have no idea..." I paused and continued, "So...we're doing this tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah. Get your things ready, we're moving out ASAP."

* * *

><p><strong>Takeshi<strong>

We left Shigi-kun's apartment in slightly higher spirits. The two of us walked the dark streets relatively slowly, but I didn't really mind. The night air felt good, the girl at my side was beautiful and I was in good health. I was also planning on breaking a few rules, so my rebellious side was being prodded and fed.

"You do realize we'll have to tell the others right?" Uzume said after a moment of silence.

"Yep, I do." I resumed my silent demeanor.

Uzume looked at me for a moment, her head cocked to the side. "What are you thinking about?"

"The best time for you to get your turn." I replied with a smile.

A small smirk came across her face, "Really now, that's what was going through that head of yours? I can't help but wonder what other thoughts you entertain."

I shrugged, "Believe me, if you knew, then we wouldn't be outside right now...or clothed..."

Uzume purred lightly, taking my arm and wrapping it around her shoulders. Leaning into me, she whispered, "It amazes me how much you can push yourself so far and not crack under the pressure. I would've given up a long time ago."

I held her tightly, allowing my body to bask in her own heat. "It's called superhuman self-control. Mastery is a prerequisite to live in Maison Izumo. You should know this by now."

"Yeah, I suppose I should." She grinned easily, wrapping her arms around my chest. Pouting up to me, she whispered, "Carry me, please."

I arched an eyebrow at my Sekirei. "Um, excuse me?"

"Carry me." Uzume said matter-of-factly. "Tsukiumi's always calling her your wife, so I figured I would mess with her when we return." She smiled darkly. "I want to see her face when you carry me over the threshold."

I released a breath, feeling exhaustion set in; sometimes, dealing with the growing insanity of my Sekirei's antics can get tiring. "I just hope you know, when Tsukiumi goes to blast me with her water, I'm holding you up as a shield." Turning towards her, I hooked my other arm behind her knees and swept her feet out from under her. Lifting Uzume into a bridal carry, I felt small smirk appear on my face as I met her eyes. "Happy?"

A flush of color took its place on her cheeks as she snuggled closer to me. "Never been more so."

Rolling my eyes, I resumed the trek to Maison Izumo.

* * *

><p>When we reached the door, I simply stood there and gave Uzume a look. "I only have two hands, you know that right?"<p>

"Yep." She said with a smile as she rested her head on my shoulder.

I sighed, "You know, I'd rather not kick the door to knock."

Sighing herself, Uzume lifted the hand resting my chest and reached out to the door. Knocking loud enough to be heard, but soft enough as to not wake everyone in the house, she quickly pulled her hand back and resumed her close proximity.

As soon as the knock was made, however, the door was pulled open, revealing two very grumpy, blonde Sekirei.

"Husband." Tsukiumi grounded out through gritted teeth when she saw the two of us. "Have you been out _playing_ with your concubine, instead of meeting this other Ashikabi?"

I smiled lightly, knowing full well that I had some insurance for a surprise attack from the enraged water user. "I assure you, Tsukiumi, there was no _playing_ around. It was all business when I left, much to Uzume's displeasure."

Uzume stuck her tongue out to Tsukiumi and pulled her face closer to mine, grinning widely.

I arched an eyebrow at her, "You do remember what I said, right?"

Tsukiumi's face contorted into a dark glare. "Now see here, wench! That is _my_ husband you're embracing so closely! Let him go, and I will consider letting you off with a warning."

Uzume simply stuck out her lower lip, "You're just jealous that he's holding me like this and not you!" She giggled audibly with a wide grin.

Rolling my eyes, I walked inside the inn and said, "Enough already." Placing Uzume on her feet, I turned towards Tsukiumi and placed my hands on either side of her face. I roughly planted my lips onto her hers, kissing her deeply. Our lips moved in a slow sync as she hummed in silent joy. Her lips opened as I a subtly entreated with my tongue. It was a short, intense kiss that we shared before I broke it. Tsukiumi was left in a dumbstruck stupor, swaying lightly on her feet.

Turning to Uzume, I did that same, pulling her into a kiss. Our lips moved in tandem as she herself initiated the use of the tongue. We remained still, trapped in the amorous confines of our kiss.

Breaking the kiss slowly, I took a step back and smirked at my handy work. Both Sekirei were struck still, their faces flushed red. "Okay, now that the both of you have stopped fighting, we can get to business."

Tsukiumi flushed an even darker red. "'We'? You don't mean...all _three_ of us, do you?" She looked from me, to Uzume, then back to me, her eyes wide with shock.

"Wha?" I was a little caught off guard by that particular response.

Uzume simply grinned, "Wow, bro, I think I'm starting to understand what goes on in that head of yours."

"Huh?" I said again, then paused for a moment. Upon realizing what they were mentioning, I released a groan, "For god's sake, please get your head's out of the gutter for one minute! That's not what I was talking about!"

Uzume pouted, looking as though she were disappointed.

Tsukiumi released a sigh of clear relief.

"Onii-chan! Kuu next!" I froze, slowly remembering that Kuu was standing next to Tsukiumi.

Slowly turning my head, I took notice of Kuu holding her hands out to me, waiting for her turn to kiss. I blinked once, shaken by this sudden turn of events. I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of a way to assuage the jealousy of my youngest Sekirei. Of course, I could kiss her, but there's the whole issue of her being just a child... A peck on the forehead wouldn't do much, Kuu would want more. However, I couldn't just leave her hanging, it wouldn't be fair.

Releasing a breath, I strode forward and crouched down. "Close your eyes, 'kay?" Kuu smiled widely and did as I asked. Pursing my lips, I leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. Standing, I placed a hand on Kuu's head. "I know you don't like being reminded of your age, Kuu, but try to remember this." Cupping a hand on the side of my mouth, I mock-whispered, "You can learn from me much more than the others since you're so young."

Kuu looked angry with me for a moment, but when she heard my last statement, she paused. Smiling widely, she gave me a wide-eyed look. "Really?"

"Yeah." I said with a smile. Holding a finger to my lips, I whispered, "It's a secret, though."

Kuu nodded quickly and mimicked me by placing her finger to her lips.

"Hitomi-kun, I hope you're not corrupting, Kuu-chan." Miya's subtly menacing voice broke into the playful conversation I had going with Kuu.

Turning quickly, I noticed that Miya had a small entourage trailing her. The landlady stood at the end of the steps, her hand held in front of her face, concealing the lower portion of her face.

Peering over the handrail, Matsu watched me through her glasses, though they had a sheen of light obscuring the lenses from where I stood.

Yomi was also behind Matsu, looking over the handrail and watching me closely.

Toyotama was leaning against the wall across from the steps, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

Akitsu was a little behind her, simply watching me.

Musubi was behind Miya, clad in her sleeping/training clothes, Yukari's old gym clothes.

Yashima was next to Miya, dressed in one of my larger T-shirts.

"I hope the reason of your late night trek was important, because it seems everyone was waiting on the both of you." Miya said, her menacing tone still present.

At least it's a good thing she wasn't using that Hannya of hers.

"I can assure you, it was." Looking to each of my Sekirei, I said, "I have a request of all of you." Looking to Matsu specifically, I continued, "Especially you."

* * *

><p>Moments later, we were all squished into my room, simply because Matsu's room was entirely too small to house all of us. Everyone from before, minus Miya and plus Kazehana, simply because she was curious, was sitting, standing or leaning and waiting on me to continue. Yashima and Kuu were sitting on my desk; Tsukiumi, Uzume and Toyotama were leaning against the far wall, the former with her arms crossed. Akitsu was sitting on the chair in front of the desk, with Yomi next to her. Musubi was also sitting, though she couldn't really sit still. Matsu was sitting next to me, as I leaned against the wall next to my door. Kazehana, on the other hand, was lying down on my futon, splayed out as though to show off her generous curves.<p>

It took quite a bit of self-control to not simply let my eyes wander.

"What I'm about to ask of each of you is something completely optional. You don't have to do it, and I won't think any less of you. I won't be angry or disappointed, just think it over after I explain." Letting that sink in for a moment, I looked to Matsu, "How possible would it be to escape the capitol before the lockdown begins?"

That caught a few choice reaction.

"What!? What do you mean escape from the capitol?" Tsukiumi squawked out, shocked by the question.

"E-escape the c-capitol?" Yashima stuttered out in astonishment.

Toyotama smirked, "You never think small, do you, Takeshi-kun?"

Matsu was silent as she typed away at her tablet. After a few moments of silence, she looked up to me. "It should be possible, but only with a few snags. It'll definitely be simpler if we try before the lockdown."

I nodded, letting that sink in.

"Why would you want to escape from the capitol, Ashikabi-kun? I thought you wanted to help the 'little birds'." I looked to Kazehana, who was giving me a contemplative look.

"Yes, Husband. Please explain." Tsukiumi said hotly.

"Takeshi doesn't mean for _us_ to try and escape. He wants to help another Ashikabi and Sekirei escape." Uzume supplied succinctly, clearing up the misunderstanding.

I nodded, making that even more clear. "Yes, I want to help another Ashikabi escape. He asked Uzume to talk to me and after we left to speak with him, he explained his situation." I shrugged lightly, "His Sekirei isn't that strong and he doesn't want her to fight. She doesn't want to fight because she's afraid she'll lose. They're afraid to lose each other, so I want to help them escape." I explained bluntly, making sure that everyone knew the score.

"You mean, like a lovers' elopement!? Ooh, that's so romantic, Ashikabi-kun! You're like their personal cupid!" Kazehana wiggled on the ground, cooing like a school girl who was reading her favorite romance novel.

I simply arched a bemused eyebrow at her. "Um, sure, if you want to put it like that..." Shaking my head, I turned back to my Sekirei, "Right now, there's not much I've specifically figured out plan-wise, but I'd like to know if you'll help me."

Before anyone could reply, Yashima broke in, "Won't the Discipline Squad try to stop us?"

I felt a smile come to my face when I heard 'us'. "I know that without a doubt they will try and stop us. However, all they can do is _try_. I know that each of you are more than capable of defeating the Disciplinary Squad."

"Karasuba-sama is on the Discipline Squad..." Musubi said excitedly. "That means we may have to fight strong opponents! Oh, Takeshi-san, you can count on Musubi to help you!"

I laughed lightly, "Thanks, Musubi, it's good to know your priorities are straight."

"I'll help you, Takeshi-kun." Toyotama cut in, giving me a small smirk. "I want to give my Ashikabi a hand, plus, I may get another shot at Number 20." She grinned darkly, clearly wanting a rematch.

"If it's what you want to do, Takeshi-sama, then I have no problem giving it my all!" Yomi declared, beaming wildly.

"I want to help, too, Onii-chan! Kuu wants to help too!" My smallest Sekirei leapt from Yashima's side and rushed to me.

I placed a hand on her head, "I'll be sure to think of the perfect job only you can do." She smiled widely up to me.

Akitsu shifted lightly in her seat. "If it's what my Ashikabi wants, then I will help make it happen."

Yashima cleared her throat, "I-I don't mind a little d-danger, Takeshi-sama..." She smiled softly.

Matsu looked up to me, her eyes unwavering. "If you really want to make this happen, then I will do my best to set the stage."

Tsukiumi scoffed, "All of you are mistaken as to what a Sekirei's duty is."

I held back a sigh as I replied to her, "Then what is a Sekirei's duty, Tsukiumi?"

"It's to fight and fight until there is only one left." She said heatedly.

However, before I could reply, Akitsu cut me off. "I believe you are the one who is mistaken, Tsukiumi. A Sekirei's duty is live by her Ashikabi, to ensure his happiness and fulfill his every desire. We only fight to defend his body and honor, nothing more and nothing less." The soft-spoken Sekirei looked towards Tsukiumi, her eyes sharp.

Tsukiumi threw a pointed glare to Akitsu. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it quickly, gritting her teeth. Clenching her teeth, Tsukiumi crossed her arms and turned away from the group.

"Hmm, it seems that you may need to help Panty Flasher-chan release some tension, Ashikabi-kun." Kazehana said lazily.

Before Tsukiumi could retort, I quickly replied, "I'll consider it, Kazehana-san, but I'm not going to force her to do anything she doesn't want to do. She has her own reasons to not take part and I'll respect that."

"It's a Sekirei's duty to help their Ashikabi, Takeshi-sama." Yomi cut in, giving Tsukiumi an obvious glare. "If Tsukiumi doesn't help you with the first thing that you truly want to do, then she doesn't deserve to be yo-"

"Yomi!" I said sharply, already knowing what she was going to say. "That is uncalled for."

"But-"

"Enough already, okay?" I clenched my fist, trying not to lash out. "There's already enough fighting going on outside the inn, I'd rather not bring it inside. Whatever decisions Tsukiumi makes are hers alone; whether she wants to help is entirely up to her. I'm not going to force anyone to do something they don't want to do." I paused, exhaling slowly. "Akitsu, you said a Sekirei's duty is to live her Ashikabi, to fulfill his every desire?" She nodded, giving me a soft look. I then turned to my water Sekirei, "Tsukiumi, you said that a Sekirei's duty is to fight until only one is left standing, right?" She nodded, though she seemed slightly hesitant. "Well, let me tell all of you an Ashikabi's duty is. His duty is to protect his Sekirei as they protect him, to ensure that they always have a happy life. His duty is to accept their love and return his own; it's to provide them with the freedom they so richly deserve, but continue to reject in the name of said love. It's _my_ duty to make sure all you are able to do what you truly want, even if it means going against what I do." I paused, pushing a hand through my hair. "I don't have to do this, but I want to do this. Each of you deserve to live a normal life... Well, semi-normal considering what's happening right now."

Everyone was silent as they took in what I said. Each of them were contemplative as I slowly looked to my Sekirei in turn.

"I'm sorry, Takeshi-sama. Tsukiumi..." Yomi muttered, though her voice was loud enough to be heard by the both of us.

"You don't have to apologize to me, but thank you..." I replied softly.

Tsukiumi cleared her throat, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I accept your apology, Yomi, but it is partly my fault..."

I smiled lightly and shook my head. Stepping away from the wall, I lifted a hand lazily, "Well, that's it for my night. I need a few moments to myself before I can get to bed. Night, everyone." Hearing a collective response, I left my room and headed downstairs. Stepping outside and onto the veranda, I dropped down and took a seat. Looking to the sky, I couldn't help but feel inordinately tired and restless.

Releasing a small breath, I leaned back and allowed my arms to support my weight. Closing my eyes, I basked in the silence of the night.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Miya's voice broke into my self-imposed silence.

I just opened my eyes and let my head fall back, seeing an upside Miya from my perspective. Quite an entertaining sight I have to say. Leaning forward, I stretched my arms to the side. "I'm just so tired..."

My landlady strode forward and slowly took the place next to me, though there was a noticeable space between us. "Maybe if you went to bed..."

A small laugh escaped me. "It's more than that Miya-san." I paused, leaning back again. "This entire plan; what Minaka is doing; what other Ashikabi are doing...what I'm doing, it's all so exhausting."

"Doing the right thing is never easy, Hitomi-kun." Miya replied slowly. She smiled softly, wistfully. "It never gets easy, either. That's why there are so few genuinely kind people left; doing the right thing is taking the hard path. There aren't many people with the will to continue if they start. Sometimes, it's easier to just sit back and watch..."

I shook my head, "I couldn't do that, Miya-san. I can't just 'sit back and watch'. It's not who I am. I have to step in and interfere. It's all I know, all I really understand. Everything I do, I try to make sure others benefit in some way, whether it's my girls or others. When I trained all those years, I did it so I could protect Yukari. When I decided to actively fight in the Plan, it was to protect other Sekirei. When I winged all of my Sekirei, it was partly to ensure their safety from seedy Ashikabi and my own selfishness. When I decided to help Shigi-kun, it was both my desire to help him and _beat_ that bastard of a CEO at his own damn game." Clenching my fist, I struck my own knee in frustration. "But I don't know how much longer I can go on..."

Miya was silent for what felt like ages. When she did reply, it was just above a whisper. "No one is wholly selfless. I've come to realize that we are all 'only human'." She smiled, light and contemplative, letting out a small laugh. "It's so strange how such a specific phrase can mean the same for anyone, no matter the species." When I let out a slight snort, Miya glared softly. "What was that for?"

"It's strange to see you let your guard down, Miya-san. Everyone here thinks of you as the benevolent, immovable landlady. You always have a smile on your face; whether it's kind or frightening, it's always in place when we're around. Yet...whenever it's just you and me, you open up." I smiled lightly and faced the sky. "I have to say, I like it. Maybe, I should soul search more often."

Once again, my words left Miya in complete silence. Moments passed and she still remained silent. It was only after a little while that I turned to look towards Miya that I noticed she was watching me intently, her purple eyes honing in on my grey ones. "I've wondered why..." She started, but stopped gradually. Then she resumed. "I've wondered why I open up to you, and I never really understood why. However, after living with you and your girls in my inn, I think I've finally learned why. You remind me of someone I once loved, still love even after he's passed. He was someone who cared deeply about my fledglings and I. He was a man of untainted integrity and moral fiber, someone you could trust with your life. After wondering why you were so familiar, I finally understood..."

"Takehito Asama is my father..." I said softly, smiling faintly. Miya's eyes widened as she regarded me. Hearing the silent question, I shrugged. "I decided to do some research on my own and I happened to figure it out. It wasn't a stretch, considering the resemblance." I paused and allowed a grin to appear on my face, "It must've been a shock, that time I wore his track suit."

Miya paused, appearing a little surprised that I would remember our first meeting. Then she nodded and replied, "Yes, it was. I found it to be quite the shocking experience. Though, when I learned you winged Uzume, I wondered what kind of person you were."

"I guess it was surprising, huh?"

"Yes, though you seem to be more like Takehito than I initially thought." Miya said softly.

I leaned back and relaxed slowly. "I'm sorry if I caused you any undue stress, Miya-san."

She shook her head, "It's perfectly fine. You actually make things much livelier around here."

I felt myself grin. Shaking my head, I pushed myself to my feet. "It's late, Miya-san, I think it's time for me head to bed."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

><p>Walking down the street, I brought out my phone and checked the time. I was still a few minutes early, so that's good. Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I let my arms hang to my side. With me were two of my Sekirei, Uzume and Musubi, along with a straggler, Kazehana, who wanted to witness a 'love story unfold', as stated in her own words.<p>

"Like I said, all of you don't need to come with me. I'm trying to help Shigi-kun, not overwhelm him with my Sekirei. Besides, I won't be gone long." I repeated my earlier statement, in spite of knowing the futility of dissuading either of them.

Uzume pouted, grabbing my arm. "C'mon, Takeshi, I'm just trying to protect you. Don't you want me around?" Seeing the look on my face, she grinned, "Oh, well, I know how you really feel. Besides, we are going to break a few rules, so we figured it would be necessary to be more active in protecting you."

Musubi clenched her fist and punched forward, shaking the air itself with the force. "Yes, we will protect you, Takeshi-san. After all, the Discipline Squad is really strong, so we'll get stronger by fighting with them!"

I smiled and rolled my eyes at the both of them. "Your exuberance baffles me sometimes, Musubi." I replied in perfect deadpan.

"Oh! It's so liberating to see such devotion!" Kazehana cooed as she watched the three of us.

I released a breath, "Shouldn't you be looking for an Ashikabi, Kazehana-san?"

The wind Sekirei simply placed a hand on her chin. After a few moments, she shrugged, "I have no need to."

"Oh? Why is that?" I couldn't help but ask.

"There was only one person I wanted to have as my Ashikabi, but he rejected me. I have no need for an Ashikabi that I don't love."

"Nee-san..." Uzume said softly.

I remained silent, then nodded lightly. "No matter what you decide to do, Kazehana-san, I'll make sure you're always able to make that decision, regardless of what it is."

Kazehana regarded me silently for a moment, then she rushed to Uzume. "Oh, Uzume-chan, you're Ashikabi such the sweet talker! I can't help but wonder if he's trying to catch little old me..." She mock-whispered.

Uzume released a small laugh. "Nee-san, there's nothing little about you. Besides, I don't think there's anything Takeshi could want after he's winged all of us."

"I don't know, if what Toyotama-chan and Yomi-chan have said are true, he may be a little more out of control than you may think."

"I'm right here, you know." I deadpanned. "I can hear everything you say; I hope you know that."

Kazehana regarded me with an easy smile. "Of course, Ashikabi-kun!"

I released a tired breath, _it's too early for this insanity..._

"Yo." I looked up to see Akira waiting for me, the large man leaning against a nearby wall with Kaori at his side.

"Hey. I take it you got my message?" I asked him.

He nodded, "Yep. I'm in. Any chance to stick it to MBI, I'll jump on it."

I felt a smirk appear on my face. Waving him to follow, I continued, "Let's go, we're meeting Seo at his place for creating the plan. We'll be meeting up with Shigi-kun on the way."

Akira nodded and fell into step at my side, following as I lead the way. Moving relatively quickly, I decided to break into conversation with the larger fellow. "Tell me, Akira, what have you been up to?"

He shrugged, "This and that. Not much to do since we haven't heard from any Unwinged Sekirei."

I nodded lightly, "It's understandable; though you'll probably be busy over the next day or two. This little skirmish I'm going to lead will shake up the entire capitol." I smirked as I informed him.

"You do it figuratively and I'll do it literally. It'll break the Richter scale." His voice rumbled as he mimicked my smirk.

We continued to head towards Seo's building and, on the way, we met up with Haruka. Sitting on a bench, he and Kuno were waiting on my Sekirei and me to approach him and lead him to the next destination.

Upon seeing us, he and Kuno stood. However, when she noticed Akira, Kuno quickly stepped behind Haruka. As we approached, Haruka stood defensively and said, "Hitomi, you didn't tell me you were bringing so many people..."

I lifted a hand to calm him down. "It's alright. There all trustworthy." Pointing to Musubi, I said, "Musubi is another one of my Sekirei." Gesturing to Akira, I continued, "This is Akira and his Sekirei, Kaori." Looking to Kazehana, I silently deliberated on what to say about her attendance. "As for Kazehana-san, let's just say she's an observer..."

She beamed and said, "Oh, don't worry, Klutzy and Haruka know who I am. I'm only here to watch the love story unfold!" Kazehana squirmed ecstatically.

There was a soft 'my name is Kuno' that went unnoticed by everyone when Haruka said, "Alright, now where are we heading?"

"A friends." I smiled softly.

* * *

><p>"I get it, I really do." Seo spoke relatively slowly, rubbing his face lightly. "You guys want to tell off Minaka in such a way that will hit him where it hurts. You want to spite the guy for doing all of this. I understand it; hell, I even support it. But, I have one question..."<p>

I opened my mouth to jokingly ask what it was, but I was quickly cut off.

"Why in the hell did you wake me up so early!?" Seo cried out angrily at all of us. His voice echoed throughout the apartment's room, the sound bouncing back and forth.

"Early? This isn't early." I pointed outside. "The sun's been up for around two hours..."

Seo groaned, then yawned lightly. "Not everyone's an early riser like you, kid..." He looked to each of us, but he arched an eyebrow when he noticed Kazehana off to the side. "I'm a little surprised, Kazehana. I never thought you'd be hanging around the kid."

She shrugged with a small smirk, "What can I say? I'm curious to see how this will turn out."

I chuckled lightly, smiling widely. Placing the bag I brought onto the ground, I unzipped it and pulled out the tablet I've seen Matsu working with. Booting it up, I placed it into the table and said, "Do you have the map?"

Seo nodded tiredly, reaching over the back of his couch. After a few seconds of nothing, Hikari muttered under her breath and grabbed the map. Placing it in his hands, she watched as Seo spread it across the table. A map of the entire capitol lay spread out across the table, with five major sections marked off. "Okay, before we start this, do you have anything new?"

I nodded and smirked, "Yep. Watch lists and times when they're switching out. While a couple armed guards won't cause too much trouble, I'd prefer it if an alarm doesn't go off." Sliding my finger across the screen of the tablet, I opened the document. "I also made sure to send one to you, just to make sure we're all prepared."

Seo nodded and rubbed his face, leaning forward. Clearing his throat, he began, "If we're going to do this thing, there are a few things we need to go over. For one, the risks we're taking with this idea."

"We're going to catch MBI's eye, I know that." I said slowly. "But, don't we already? I mean, look at us. We're among the most influential Ashikabi in the Game. Akira and I have connections with MBI, whether it be through work or training. I've winged a considerable number of the Sekirei, third in sheer numbers. And you..." I smirked lightly, "You have a connection to the late Takehito Asama."

That caught Seo's attention, causing his eyes to narrow imperceptibly. "Alright, but that doesn't excuse the fact the rest of us don't have the blessing of the protection of several Sekirei and the Hannya."

"'Hannya'? What do you mean, the 'Hannya'?" Haruka broke into the conversation.

"The Hannya is a very frightening, very powerful third party in the Sekirei Plan. She doesn't particularly like the idea of violence near her home, so she scares everyone away." I explained nonchalantly to him, looking over the map.

Seo snorted, "There's that and the fact that she's rumored to have an unofficial alliance with the Northern Ashikabi." He eyed me.

I shook my head, "I wouldn't say that. The rumor says that he simply pays his respects and she allows him to stay there."

"Yeah, and if this goes badly, he'll have the protection of the Hannya while the rest of us are left out to dry." Seo said dryly.

I simply shook my head, but before I could reply, Haruka jumped into the conversation. "I'm sorry, but I'm lost. What do the two of you mean by 'Northern Ashikabi'?"

"The capitol is split into five distinct sections." Akira cut in, deciding to do the exposition. "There's the north, south, east, west and Teitou Tower in the middle. Each section, save for the Tower, are 'controlled' by four distinct Ashikabi. Those Ashikabi are the ones with the most, and strongest, Sekirei."

"The south is controlled by Hayato Mikogami; the east is controlled by Izumi Higa. Two individuals that I've had the distinct pleasure of interfering with on a regular basis." I said with a smirk as I flipped through the pages on the tablet.

Seo shook his head with a laugh, "Then there's the Ashikabi of the West, a Nishi Sanada. Now there's a difficult guy to pin down. He's the one of the four Ashikabi I've yet to meet in person."

When the rest of us looked over the map, Haruka cleared his throat, "Then who's the Northern Ashikabi?"

"There's not much to say about that prick." Akira said with a hint of irony. "He thinks he's a tough guy, but he's just whipped. Also, that 'alliance' he has with the Hannya, it's just that he kisses her ass on a regular basis." The large man laughed lightly, the sound rumbling from deep within his chest.

Seo mirrored the man's laughter, "You know, I have to say, you're spot on with that description, big guy. The Northern Ashikabi is whipped to all hell."

Haruka blinked, "Wow, he doesn't sound that imposing at all..."

Kuno nodded in affirmation.

Uzume leaned into me, laughing lightly. "What's wrong, Takeshi? You seem like you're a little peeved."

I felt my eyebrow twitch as I listened to the description of the so-called 'mysterious' Northern Ashikabi. While _some _of what was said may have been true, the rest was completely untrue. I am not kissing Miya's ass, I am simply polite and respectful of her rules. "Can we just get onto the plan?"

Seo, still grinning, said, "Sure, kid; let's get on with it."

Musubi, though, had other ideas. "Wait, who's the Northern Ashikabi? And don't we live in the north, Takeshi-san?"

I released a breath and said, "Yes, we do, Musubi."

"Then who's the Northern Ashikabi?"

Lifting my hand, I said, "That would have to be me." My voice was rather dry. "Now, can we move onto the plan?"

"Oh, Ashikabi-kun, there's no reason to be ashamed of being whipped. It just means that you care about your Sekirei enough to listen to their opinions." Kazehana tried to reassure me, to which I responded with a tired look.

I released a breath, "Can we move on with the plan? I'd prefer it if we don't talk about whether I am whipped or not."

Seo laughed one last time, then leaned forward. "Sure, kid, sure." Placing a finger on the map, he said, "Since each part of the capitol is under the 'control' of one of the main Ashikabi, the safest bet would be to stage our escape in the Northern end."

"That would mean we would have the smallest chance of interference from other Ashikabi. The Hannya won't bother us if we leave her alone." Akira rumbled lightly, no doubt studying the map closely.

Seo nodded, "Yeah, that's the major reason. Another one is that even without the lockdown in place, there are still the occasional checkpoints along the bridges." He then moved a finger to the northernmost point of the map, a single railroad bridge. "This bridge has guards, but no checkpoints."

A small smile appeared on Haruka's face. "You mean it'll work? We'll be able to escape as easily as that?"

I snorted at his naiveté, "If only it were that easy. As much as I hate to admit it, Minaka is called a genius for a reason. He'll have precautions set up for something like an escape attempt, like the lockdown in the near future. What he'll do is most likely something like this." I reached down and placed a finger at where the Tower was in the map. Then I dragged a finger along a road that lead towards the bridge Seo pointed out. "He'll have a small force of his personal army down along this street, which is essentially a straight shot to the bridge." I then pointed a second bridge, "There's also a checkpoint positioned there, which will most likely have a smaller force close at a hand to position back up." I then sighed and lifted my hand, letting it hover above the map as a whole. "In addition, there's also MBI's laser satellite, which can shoot down anything that the CEO wants to disappear." Lowering my hand, I tapped the Tower at the center of the map. "There's also the Discipline Squad to deal with whatever the military, or the satellite, cannot."

Seo leaned back and crossed his arms, "Well, haven't you thought of everything?"

"So..." Haruka muttered, "It's not possible to escape?" He turned to glare at me. "Did you just say you'd help me to get my hopes so you can dash them?"

I felt a triumphant grin appear on my face. "Oh, it's possible, I assure you, Shigi-kun. I made sure to do as much research as I could, just for this job of ours. I made sure to think of as many countermoves that were available to me." I placed a finger along the road that led straight from the capitol towards the bridge. "To clog up this straight-away, I will have Toyotama and Uzume sow enough chaos to disrupt communications and traffic." Pointing to the second bridge, I said, "To prevent reinforcement from reaching the railroad bridge, Yashima, Akitsu and Kusano will do the same here." Lifting my hand, I continued, "Matsu will hack the satellite, and take control of it, for as long as she can possibly can." Finally, I ended on the railroad bridge, "In the end, Musubi, Yomi and myself will accompany you and Kuno-san, Shigi-kun, in order to deal with the Discipline Squad."

Musubi gasped in delight, "Really, Takeshi-san!? I get to go with you and fight the Discipline Squad!"

I smiled up to her, "Yeah, though I'd prefer it if they don't appear."

"I'm curious, Takeshi. Why put me there and not with you?" Uzume asked me, perplexed.

"You're skills suit hit-and-run tactics the best. You and Toyotama are the most in sync when it comes to fighting; it would be child's play for either of you to cover one another when fighting. I'm going to need to have the military distracted for us to have the most amount of time possible." I explained to her as I waited for the others to respond to my plan.

Akira narrowed his eyes as he looked over the map and thought on my plan. "What about my girls and me?"

"You'll stir up some chaos on another end of the capitol, distracting the military or, hopefully, even a part of the Discipline Squad."

He gave me small glare, seemingly a bit peeved. "So I'm a distraction?"

"Yeah." I said, with a small smirk. "That's what the majority of this plan is: one large smoke screen for Shigi-kun and Kuno-san to escape."

Akira released a breath and said, "I'll prepare a 'little surprise' then. It should be more than enough to be your 'smokescreen'."

"What about us?" Seo asked.

I looked to him, "I need the power to be shut off for this to work completely. How would that work for you?"

He smirked, "I don't mind it. After all, it's not me MBI will be watching closely after all this is over."

I let out a small laugh. "They can watch me all they want. I'll beat MBI one way or another."

Kazehana hummed lightly near the end of our discussion. "I have to say, Ashikabi-kun, you really put a lot of thought into that. Are you always that thorough?"

I smirked, "You have no idea..."

Kazehana simply watched me, her eyes narrowing subtly.

"So...it'll work?" Haruka asked me, his voice soft and barely audible. "Kuno and I will be able to escape?"

"If all works out, you'll both be well on your way away from the capitol by this time tomorrow." I said confidently.

Akira was silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "I only see one problem with this plan. You're splitting your numbers too much. Wouldn't it be smarter to keep as many of you together as possible?"

"I thought of that and this was the best possible situation. Uzume and Toyotama have to be at that road to slow down the military, otherwise we won't have time. Yashima, Akitsu and Kusano have to be at the other bridge because reinforcements would intercept us. Matsu has to hack the satellite, otherwise we'd all be turned to paste by the laser. Musubi and Yomi are with me so we can get across the bridge with some protection."

Musubi placed a finger on her cheek, "What about Tsukiumi-san? You haven't said anything about her."

I looked down, remaining silent for a moment. "She...said she didn't want to help. I won't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do." Clearing my throat, I looked to Seo with a smirk, "So, what are your thoughts on the plan?"

Seo shrugged, a smug grin on his face. "I think we're gonna stick MBI where it hurts."

"I still think we're missing a major problem. There're more than two Sekirei in the Discipline Squad." Akira cut in again. "I hate to be overly negative, but what's stopping them from sending all seven of them to overwhelm you?"

I held my smirk in place, "It's simple. There are two Ashikabi in the Discipline Squad. While Natsuo is the type of guy to be a friend with everyone, Kaede's not the kindest person. There's going to be a little animosity between the two. In addition, Benitsubasa and Haihane are the first to be deployed, regardless. By the time they realize it's me, it'll be too late for Kaede to arrive." I released a small sigh, "If they do come, then I'll deal with her personally. Her Sekirei won't act if I physically restrain their Ashikabi."

"That's _if_ you can beat her." Akira snorted.

"I can and I will. You of all people should know that, Akira." I said with finality.

Akira shook his head and checked his watch. "It's just about the time I need to go. Keep your head down until the escape." With that, he walked out of Seo's apartment.

Haruka stood and said, "I don't know how I can repay you guys..."

"Don't think about that until you're out of the capitol, Shigi-kun." I replied quickly. "Regardless of that, you're going to have to stay with us at the inn until the escape."

"What? Why? Can't we head back to my apartment and pick up a few things?"

I shook my head. "Too risky. MBI has probably taken notice of four Ashikabi meeting in one place and will be watching our homes. They won't bother Akira and me because of our Sekirei and our connections; they'll just ignore Seo; you, on the other hand, will be an easy person to detain since you're a nobody to them, just another player in this Game. For your and Kuno's safety and for the success of the plan, you'll have to stay with me."

Haruka scratched his head and sighed, "Well, I can't really complain..."

Uzume beamed at the two of them. "Aren't you guys happy? The both of you will be leaving the capitol tonight!"

I leaned forward in my seat and gave Seo a critical look. "Since this is done, there's one more thing I need to talk with you about, Seo." I paused, looking to everyone else in the room. "Alone."

Seo regarded me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright." He looked to Hikari and Hibiki, but the soft spoken twin simply smiled, "We do need to pay Miya a visit; we are running long on food."

I looked to Musubi and Uzume, "Go on ahead without me, I'll be fine. Just keep an eye on Shigi-kun and Kuno-san."

My pony-tailed Sekirei pouted at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's something I need to find out." With that, everyone, save for Seo and myself, began to file out of the apartment. When we were left alone, I closed my eyes and leaned back, releasing a tired breath. "Seo, what can you tell me about..." My eyes opened as I crossed my arms and looked to the Ashikabi across from me. "Ashikabi abilities and Takehito Asama?"


End file.
